The Brat Prince of Vos
by itsu-sual
Summary: TFA: When Megatron tries to recruit the city of Vos for his Decepticon army, their terms of acceptance aren't quite what he was expecting. Rated T for safety, eventual slash.
1. Chapter 1

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: **None for this chapter  
**Pairings:** None for this chapter, eventual Megatron x Starscream. As if you couldn't have guessed ;)

This first chapter takes place before the Great War, when Megatron is still building up his army. It's been a while since I've had a proper story idea, so I hope this one works out! Please review and let me know what you think! :D

* * *

The ship was a small one - the Decepticon leader couldn't run the risk of coming across as imposing.

Shockwave sat at the helm, single optic never wavering from the control panels. As a ground-based mech, he didn't like to take risks with spacecrafts, never fully trusting the sky. With neurotic precision, he altered and adjusted the controls continuously with each change of the wind and air, intent on making sure the journey didn't take a nanosecond longer than it had to.

After what seemed like hours, a screen began to blink with a soft beep, and Shockwave allowed himself to cycle a breath of air through his vents in relief. He raised a claw to his helm to activate his comm.-link.

"My Lord," he announced, formal as ever, "we are within a kilometre of Vos."

There was a long pause, and for a minute Shockwave considered repeating his message. Suddenly, Megatron's voice broke through the line, rough and groggy as if he had been in recharge.

"Fine," Megatron grunted. "Make sure the communication channels are open. Engage defensive mode in case of hostilities, but do not allow any of our own weapons to be seen. The mechs of Vos are edgy, to say the least."

"Yes, my Lord," Shockwave replied, claws instantly flying over the control panel to carry out the instructions. Soon after, Megatron appeared in the main control room, dusting at his armour and rubbing at small spots critically.

"If they don't contact us before we get within a hundred metres, hover the ship in place," he ordered, only half paying attention to what Shockwave was doing. "If I can win over the King of Vos, our army will increase tenfold."

Shockwave frowned a little (as best he could with one optic). "My lord, data indicates that there are over one hundred thousand more mechs living in Kaon than Vos," he recited. "Logically our efforts should be concentrated on Kaon."

Megatron snorted. "There is more to winning a war than data, Shockwave," he replied, voice full of scorn. "You're a ground mech. Your alt-mode is what, a tank?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Mm. That was my original alt-mode. I paid a lot of credits for the upgrade into a jet," Megatron continued contemplatively. "But Vos…ah, every single mech and femme in Vos was _protoformed_ a flier."

Shockwave nodded in appreciation. "Understood. Their skills would render them a tactical advantage."

"Indeed - hold the ship, now, we're near enough - but the mechs of Vos are dictated by custom and tradition. They close themselves up in their high towers, nothing like the big cities of Kaon or Iacon. Where the big cities have governments, Vos has a royal family, and whichever side the King chooses in the upcoming war, the rest of Vos will choose as well."

"Ingenious, my Lord," Shockwave commented.

Megatron looked as if he were about to continue when the main screen burst into life with the face of a Seeker, wings bearing the stripes of the Royal family.

"State your business!" the Seeker ordered haughtily, and both Decepticons quickly judged him to be a member of the Royal Guard.

"I am Megatron, leader of the Decepticons," the silver Decepticon announced himself. "I have come to negotiate with the King of Vos."

The guard eyed Megatron critically, and from the flickering of his green optics appeared to be running an identification scan. After a few seconds, he nodded briskly. "Positive identification confirmed. Groundling or flier?" the guard asked.

"Flier by modification."

"Your servants - groundlings or fliers?" continued the Seeker.

"One groundling," Megatron replied, ignoring the look of outrage on Shockwave's faceplates - 'groundling' had become a derogatory term in the scientist's home city of Polyhex.

"Only fliers may enter the city of Vos. Access is granted to you, Megatron, provided you remain unaccompanied," the guard said decisively.

"Unacceptable!" Shockwave stood indignantly. "As an important political-"

"Silence, Shockwave," Megatron interrupted coolly. "I will accept your terms. Take me to your King."

The Royal Guard nodded, speaking his words as if recited from a textbook. "Your servant may park your ship outside by the walls of Vos. We will register it on our defence systems and it will not be fired on. In five minutes the entrance will open and you will be escorted inside alone by members of the Guard. Long live the King!"

The screen went blank and quickly disappeared. Shockwave turned to face Megatron with a frown. "My Lord, I feel this is most unwise."

"What would be unwise, Shockwave, would be trying to get a ground-based mech such as yourself inside a city of fliers," the Decepticon leader replied with a chuckle. "I'll be fine, as long as I pay attention to their pit-damned customs and rules."

After brushing himself off one final time, Megatron jumped out the hatch and transformed.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 2  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: **None for this chapter  
**Pairings:** None for this chapter, eventual Megatron x Starscream.

* * *

As Megatron had expected, the inner city of Vos was made up entirely of towers and spires. It was no wonder groundlings weren't allowed in, and not just because of cultural tradition - there wasn't a single road or track for their vehicle forms to use. Every door served the double purpose of a landing platform, and the citizens swooped and dived gracefully between the high buildings from platform to platform.

Four guards surrounded him in a tight formation, but despite their presence, some of the citizens flew near in curiosity. Some tittered and sniggered at Megatron's poor flying style, others simply circled him, trying to get a better look at the strange outsider.

The Royal Guard seemed to be leading him to the highest spire, located directly in the centre of the city - the palace, Megatron assumed, although apart from its size it looked no different from the other buildings. As they got closer, they increased their altitude, the Decepticon leader following clumsily.

Megatron spotted a large landing platform about three quarters up the building, with a single mech standing on it in his bipedal mode. The mech was a greyish purple and had a sombre expression, with green optics just like the other Royal Guards, although he did not wear the same stripes as they did on their wings. The mech stepped back a little, and the Royal Guard transformed and landed on the platform, Megatron lagging behind a little before doing the same.

"Welcome, Megatron," the mech said, bowing respectfully. "My name is Cyclonus. I am the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Vos."

"Cyclonus," Megatron repeated, bowing in return. "I am here to see the King."

"In due time," Cyclonus replied vaguely. "You understand, of course, we are mechs of tradition here. How much do you know of our customs?"

The Decepticon leader opened his mouth with a retort, but quickly closed it again, sensing the need for diplomacy here. "I know…some," he grunted grudgingly.

The purple flier smiled softly. "I suspected as much. As Minister of Foreign Affairs, it is my duty to instruct you in the proper etiquette for audiences with the King," he continued smoothly. "After all…you _do_ want to avoid execution."

Megatron raised an optic ridge. "And…how long would this take, then?"

"Not long, not long," Cyclonus waved the question off, turning to go inside and beckoning Megatron to follow. "A few hours, I suppose. You will stay the night, of course, and the King will see you in the morning."

The Decepticon leader frowned, following after Cyclonus. "Very well, then," he grumbled.

"I will lead you to the ambassador's quarters," Cyclonus continued as they walked. "We will conduct our lesson there."

The inside of the palace was decorated in Royal Blue, Megatron noted, the same colour that adorned the stripes of the Guard. The corridors and rooms were wide and spacious with high ceilings, most likely to accommodate the wings of the fliers in the city. Surprisingly, they soon came to a large staircase which spiralled up the centre of the tower, and Megatron realized that the centre of the spires were hollow, acting as a space for them to fly between floors without having to use the outer landing platforms. In the hollow, central shaft of the tower, fliers of all sizes and descriptions flew up and down busily, some carrying trays, others looking as if they were carrying out important tasks.

Cyclonus continued to lead him up the spiralling stairs at a leisurely pace - Megatron was not sure why they didn't just fly, but couldn't tell if it was impolite to ask. As they got higher up the building, the activity in the central shaft decreased, and fewer mechs passed them on the stairs.

Suddenly, several small blurs of colour shot by Megatron. The Decepticon leader spun around in shock, raising his fusion cannon defensively.

"What in the pit was - !?"

Cyclonus laid a hand on Megatron's cannon, lowering it. "Just the Royal children playing. Nothing to worry about," he explained. "I'd advise you to take off your cannon as soon as possible. Your defensive reflexes will get you into trouble if you raise weapons at the Royal Family again."

Then Cyclonus shot his other hand out, snatching at thin air - but when Megatron looked, in Cyclonus' hand was a grey wing, attached to a struggling youngling.

"Let go of me, you big meanie!" shrieked the small femme.

"Princess Laserwave, that is no way to behave," Cyclonus reprimanded her, ignoring Megatron for the moment. "You will address me in a manner more fitting of your Royal heritage."

"Fine!" she shrieked, pitch rising. "Let me go, _Minister_ Cyclonus!"

"You should not have allowed yourself to get caught in the first place," scolded the older, purple flier. "When you are caught, you are reprehensible for your actions. If you are not, then nobody can punish you. Let this be a lesson to you." Megatron widened his optics in confusion, wondering if these sorts of morals were taught to all the children in Vos. The Princess pouted, still dangling in Cyclonus' grip.

"Now," Cyclonus continued, "please explain why you are racing on the staircase. Your father has warned you about this."

"We were chasing Starscream," she muttered, struggling to free herself. "It's all his fault! He should have just let me catch him!"

"Prince Starscream is faster than you. Just because you are his older sister does not entitle you the right to impede his flying," chided Cyclonus. "As punishment, your dinner will consist of poorly processed energon. Do _not_ let me catch you again." With that, he let go of Princess Laserwave's wing, and she sped off yelling curses at Cyclonus. The minister just continued up the stairs as if nothing had happened.

"You're really allowed to tell the Royal children off?" Megatron asked in disbelief.

Cyclonus nodded. "All of the upper class may contribute towards their education," he explained. "In the rest of the city, children are brought up by the community as a whole. It is the same for the Royalty. Besides, the King has so many children."

"How many?" Megatron prompted curiously.

"Thirteen - an unlucky number," sighed Cyclonus. "The Queen offlined about a century after the youngest Prince was born. A shame. Since you will be required to greet each of the Royal children, I may as well start our lesson on this topic. The heir to the throne is painted Royal Blue, like the King. The paint colour of the eldest to the youngest varies chromatically - the second oldest is Cerulean, the third oldest Cyan, through to greens, yellows, oranges, reds and so on. In order - engage your memory functions for this, it's important - " Cyclonus continued, "Their names are Prince Rainmaker, Prince Dreadwing, Princess Stormcloud, Prince Clearsky, Princess Laserwave, Princess Nightwing, Prince Thunderstorm, Prince Acidstorm, Princess Raincloud, Prince Moonwing, Princess Morningstar, Princess Shiningstar, and the youngest, Prince Starscream. Have you got that?"

Megatron ran through the list in his head, squashing the urge to comment on their ridiculous names (though he supposed, after having thirteen sparklings, he would be stretched for names too). "Got it," he nodded. "And I'll have to greet all thirteen, individually?"

"Yes, in order of age. Irritating, but customary, you understand," Cyclonus grinned. The purple flier stopped in front of an impressive looking door. "We will continue our lessons inside your quarters, here. We have barely even begun."

Megatron rubbed at his helmet irritably - he could tell he was in for a long night.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 3  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: **None for this chapter  
**Pairings:** None for this chapter, eventual Megatron x Starscream.

Whew! Three chapters in one night, I'm definitely inspired for this story XD  
Thank you for the reviews so far! They must make me write faster or something...:D

* * *

Megatron groaned, letting his head fall to the table with a clang.

In the end, Cyclonus had stayed with him all night, right until the early morning hours. While Cyclonus didn't seem to tire at all, listing custom after custom, tradition after tradition, Megatron desperately wanted recharge - or a nice cube of high-grade at least.

"That's about all you need to know, really," Cyclonus finally said with a pleasant smile, and Megatron's optic twitched in fury. If he wasn't so tired, he was sure he would strangle Cyclonus right there and then.

As if sensing Megatron's hostile intentions, the Minister pushed a button on the table, and a cube of energon was automatically produced. "Here," Cyclonus said, pushing it towards the Decepticon.

"I suppose there's no point in me trying to recharge now," Megatron grumbled, gulping down the energon in one go.

"There are a few hours yet until the King awakes. His morning sessions take place right after breakfast," the Minister replied, producing another cube for Megatron, which the Decepticon leader gladly accepted, sipping at this one more slowly.

"You know," Cyclonus said, standing and pushing his seat back under the table, "I've come across your…'faction', in my travels outside of Vos." The purple flier hesitated slightly. "I…sincerely hope the King takes up your offer. It is time for Cybertron to change." And with that, the Minister turned and silently left the ambassadorial chambers.

Megatron stared after him with a mixture of surprise and contemplation, but quickly shook it off. He sipped at his energon once more, and began to run through the information Cyclonus had given him, trying to plan his words in order to get the King to commit to the Decepticon cause.

* * *

The Decepticon woke to the sound of knocking, and moaned unhappily - one hour of recharge was not at all refreshing. He stretched his joints and stood, dusting himself off, while Cyclonus and another, ancient looking Minister walked in.

"The King has nearly finished his breakfast. Are you ready?" Cyclonus asked, looking far too refreshed and awake for someone that had been up all night teaching foreigners customs.

Megatron grunted in affirmation, taking his cannon off and placing it on the table in his quarters. He nodded at Cyclonus, and the purple flier beckoned for him to follow.

The Decepticon leader was led back out to the central shaft of the palace and up further steps. Each door they passed seemed to become bigger and grander than the last, some embossed with traditional paintings of various Vos victories and fairy tales. Cyclonus stopped outside a door three times the height of Megatron and knocked on it gently. Two members of the Royal Guard opened the door, and Cyclonus and the other, silent Minister led Megatron inside.

The throne room was impressive, to say the least, with windows making up the entirety of the farthest wall. At the other walls, rows of Royal Guards stood to attention, silent and accusing. The ceiling was embossed with silver and gold, while the walls were Royal Blue like the rest of the palace. In front of the windows was an imposing throne on a raised platform - twelve platforms of smaller heights, each closer to the floor than the last were arranged in front of it.

Cyclonus whispered to Megatron before taking his place to the left of the throne. "Kneel in front of the throne, there - remember not to look up until all the Royal family are seated."

Megatron did so, staring down at the floor for a long time. It irritated him, having to kneel in front of anyone - he reminded himself to have patience with the backwards Vos mechs, and grit his dental plates together. After a while, a door in the far corner of the room opened, and he heard the voices of younglings laughing and talking amongst themselves merrily, their footsteps light and graceful as they took their places on each of their platforms…

…Except, Megatron could see from the corner of his optics, for one. The thirteenth - the youngest, Prince Starscream, painted Fuchsia and grey - sat on the floor, silent and ignored by his siblings.

Then the heavier footsteps of the King came in, accompanied by yet more guards, and he seated himself leisurely on his throne. "Rise, Megatron, and welcome to my Kingdom," he boomed in a rich, deep voice.

Megatron rose, as he had been instructed, and bowed again. "Your Majesty, King Rainmaker the Fifth, it is an honour to be allowed an audience with you," he recited dramatically. The King nodded his approval. Megatron turned his attention to the heir to the throne. "Your Majesty, Prince Rainmaker the Sixth, it is an honour." The Prince - almost a full adult mech, and almost identical to the King, save his more youthful appearance, nodded solemnly.

The process was repeated for each of the Royal Family. Some of them ignored Megatron completely, talking quietly amongst themselves, while others spared him a disdainful glance, completely uninterested in the proceedings. The Princes and Princesses that did look at him regarded him with suspicion and frowns.

"…And your Majesty, Prince Starscream, it is an honour," Megatron finished, cycling a puff of air quietly in relief. The smallest Prince - no longer a sparkling, but barely a youngling - regarded him intently with a strange expression, but nodded politely nonetheless. Unlike the other younglings (save the heir to the throne, who mimicked the King) that seemed to be occupying themselves with datapads and games, Starscream did not look away from the Decepticon leader.

"Excellent," the King smiled, pleased, drawing Megatron's attention away from the thirteenth child. "Cyclonus has taught you well in a short time. Now, you may speak freely - what have you come here for, stranger?"

The Decepticon leader cleared his vocaliser and began…


	4. Chapter 4

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 4  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: **None for this chapter  
**Pairings:** None for this chapter, eventual Megatron x Starscream.

Yay! I'm glad the reviews are all positive so far! In answer to one reviewer, I use minutes and kilometres rather than the kliks and breems and whatnot because, honestly, they get so complicated and everyone seems to have a different opinion on what length of time or distance they are x_x it's just clearer to use our own scales of time and distance XD

* * *

"Your Majesty," Megatron began, extending his arms outwards as if he were an actor in a play. "Outside the safe haven of your Kingdom of Vos, the political world grows uneasy. Kaon, Iacon, Polyhex, Tyger Pax, they are all forming careful alliances, new governments that will rule Cybertron as a whole, without a thought to your own city. The traditions and customs your people have strived so _carefully_ to preserve, so kindly educating outsiders such as myself to your ways, will be destroyed. With a single Autobot government in power, your Royal family will be stripped of power. The outside world will come barging in."

"Of _course_," Megatron continued smoothly, "there is no question that your army of fliers is one of the most powerful on Cybertron. But the sheer number of mechs that make up the citizens of the rest of Cybertron are enough to topple Vos."

The King grimaced, raising a hand to rub at his chin, while the Crown Prince looked horrified - Megatron was beginning to doubt the younglings knew anything of the outside world at all.

"That is not even to begin on the discrimination that has befallen fliers everywhere in the last century!" flourished the Decepticon leader, raising his arms upwards in mock outrage. "Every mech and femme with abilities above and beyond the common populace, the Autobots seek to repress! It would not surprise me in the least, should the Autobots take power, to _ban_ protoforms from being moulded with wings, to ban flier modifications such as my own."

In response to this, there were cries of outrage from the Royal Guard at the mere suggestion. Some of the Royal children seemed to now be paying attention, naively wondering if Megatron was telling them a story or if they were truly in danger.

"The corruption outside of these walls is truly a terror to behold," Megatron cried out, "my Decepticons, my army, we have but one goal - to _crush_ these Autobots, to rise up against their dreadful oppression, to allow each and every mech gifted with wings to flourish and grow in their rightful place as leaders of Cybertron. My Decepticons will never crush cultures and ancient traditions! One of my lieutenants is a gifted femme named Strika from Simfur, who cannot even _speak_ the common language of Cybertron, her own home's first tongue being that of Old Simfur."

"Perhaps," continued the Decepticon leader, "you believe me to be paranoid, a raving lunatic. But I have a spy, a groundling, sad to say, who has reached the rank of Prime three times, in three different disguises, in three different cities. Each time he reports back, always new laws condemning the fliers of Cybertron to the ground! Always my race of Decepticons are beaten down!"

"But!" Megatron smiled wickedly, raising a hand, "My army already grows strong. With Vos on my side, with your Majesty's allegiance to the Decepticon cause, our army would surely crush any in its path. Fliers, Seekers, jets, with your wings, we would have a tactical advantage something to behold!"

Megatron kneeled again, then, as Cyclonus had taught him to, to signify he had finished his performance. There was a heavy silence in the throne room, as the King seemed to recover from the news Megatron had delivered in his speech.

Surprisingly, the first noise to break the silence was the sound of tiny claws clapping.

Despite himself, Megatron looked up in confusion to see the youngest, Prince Starscream, clapping slowly and elegantly, expression still unreadable, golden eyes staring intensely at the Decepticon. Soon after, the Royal Guard joined in the clapping - though the Decepticon leader was sure it was some sort of tradition along the lines of "laugh when the King laughs" than the Guard's true admiration.

The King quickly raised his arms for silence. "Megatron," he boomed, "this is a grave situation indeed - one I will need more time to think about. I and my Ministers will retire to my private conference room and discuss your offer." With that, the King stood and left through the same door he had entered, the Ministers following after. Cyclonus hesitated a minute, then deciding tradition be damned, gave Megatron a small thumbs-up before he left.

Alone with the Royal Guard and the Royal children, Megatron was not entirely sure what he was supposed to do now. The Royal Guard stood silently to attention (the silver Decepticon was sure he saw at least three of them asleep standing up), while the younglings talked and played amongst themselves. Two of them giggled in hushed whispers about Megatron, right in front of him - from the heights of their platforms, the Decepticon could see it was Princess Morningstar and Princess Shiningstar.

"Where are his wings if he's a flier?" Morningstar tittered. "He's supposed to show them off proudly!"

"Why is he that dark grey colour, what is he, dead?" Shiningstar giggled in reply.

The Decepticon leader's optic twitched, but he resisted the urge to storm over and rip their heads off, as he would with any other youngling that dared to make fun of him. He decided instead to analyze the children back, staring at each of them in turn. While they all shared the same basic body types, the differences between them were noticeable. Each one's helmet was constructed differently, some resembling crowns, others looking more like the helms of army generals. Oddly, some of the Princesses were more bulky and less feminine than their brothers - the thirteenth, Starscream, was particularly slight, with a waist more befitting of a femme in Megatron's opinion, though he supposed the youngest _was_ still growing. The Crown Prince, Rainmaker, stared off absently into the distance with a worried expression - Cyclonus had warned Megatron that the Prince was particularly solemn. The Minister supposed it was to do with their mother's death, which they all seemed to blame on Starscream for being the unlucky thirteenth child.

Then, just as quickly as he had left, King Rainmaker the Fifth burst into the room, followed by his Ministers. He took his place back on the throne, and fixed Megatron with an intense look.

"Megatron, I have decided to accept your offer," the King boomed, and Megatron _almost_ sighed in relief - until he continued. "However, there is one small condition."

The Decepticon leader froze. "…Your Majesty?" he prompted.

"You will bond with my youngest child, Starscream."


	5. Chapter 5

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 5  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: **None for this chapter  
**Pairings:** None for this chapter, eventual Megatron x Starscream.

* * *

Customs and traditions to the pit, Megatron stood and _bellowed_. "WHAT?!"

Cyclonus shook his head fiercely, mouthing "no no no!", but Megatron ignored the Minister. The King turned and looked at Cyclonus with a frown.

"Oh? Cyclonus didn't warn you about this particular custom?" the King said coolly.

"Y-your Majesty, I didn't think it would come up," Cyclonus replied, kneeling down apologetically. "I was under the impression that outsiders were not permitted to bond with the Royal Family."

The King snorted. "You are young, Cyclonus, so I will excuse you this time - but it is only the King and the heir to the throne who may not bond with outsiders," he boomed, waving a hand. "Megatron, you understand I cannot simply have you waltz in here and back out again with my entire army."

"No, of course not, but I-"

King Rainmaker raised his hand dismissively for silence. "You should be _honoured_ at the prospect of bonding with one of the Royal children. With this symbol of trust, our allegiance will be strong and sure, you understand."

The Decepticon leader faltered, looking down at the youngling on the floor. Prince Starscream sat quietly with a neutral expression, golden optics fixed firmly on the floor, as if he had already accepted this fate a long time ago. Megatron grit his dental plates. If he said no, he ran the risk of execution. If he said no, he wouldn't get Vos on his side, and more than likely wouldn't have another chance in the future to secure their allegiance. But - if he _did_ bond with the Prince - he would be putting himself in danger. If the inexperienced youngling got himself killed in battle, Megatron would die with him. Having a bondmate would be a liability. Not to mention that the Prince was barely out of sparklinghood - what kind of strange society _was_ this?!

"He's…he's barely a youngling, your Majesty," Megatron protested, and Cyclonus stepped forward to back the Decepticon up.

"Your Majesty, if I may also speak, Starscream is set to become the fastest flier in Vos. Despite his tactical talents he still has many years of battle training to complete. Do you really want to lose him?" added the purple Minister.

"Even better! Megatron, you would surely appreciate being bonded to the fastest flier on Cybertron," the King replied jovially.

The Decepticon leader sighed. It was obvious the King would not back down. "May I have some time to think about this?" relented Megatron grudgingly.

King Rainmaker nodded with a sly grin, and the session was dissolved. Cyclonus led Megatron quietly back down to the ambassador's quarters.

* * *

Starscream followed his siblings back to their playroom silently.

Clearsky hesitated a little, falling back to walk with his youngest brother. "Cheer up," Clearsky grinned. Starscream just shrugged, as if to say he was fine. Prince Clearsky frowned. "You should be happy, Starscream. I'd be excited to bond with an outsider! Just think, you'll be allowed to come and go from Vos as you please! Cybertron must have many exciting wonders out there for you to explore!"

"Cyclonus already takes me outside," Starscream replied emotionlessly. "I don't really care. Father was going to marry me off for political reasons eventually - I'm the last one of us to be given a fiancé. It's not really a surprise that he chose an unsuspecting outsider. Everyone in Vos knows I'm the unlucky child."

The older Prince regarded his younger brother sadly for a moment. "Megatron seems to be a powerful one, though," Clearsky pointed out, trying to be cheerful. "Who knows, maybe you'll be more powerful than Rainmaker one day?"

Starscream smiled softly up at his green brother. "Maybe."

Then came the shrieking voice of Laserwave fighting for a toy with Nightwing, and Clearsky rushed to intervene, always the most level-headed and caring of the Royal children. Starscream hovered at the entrance to their playroom, frowning critically at the colourful older Seekers. He stepped back silently, disappearing into the shadows of the corridors, and decided it was time for some decisions of his own.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 6  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: **None for this chapter  
**Pairings:** None for this chapter, eventual Megatron x Starscream.

I feel like a fanfiction steamroller lol! This chapter was fun to write, I hope it's fun to read too.

* * *

The first thing Megatron did, alone in the safety of the ambassadorial chambers, was put his cannon back on. He felt off-balance without it, really - the weight of it on his arm was comforting to him, and he carefully latched it on, connecting the appropriate wires and hooks to his right arm.

He threw himself down on the recharge bed, groaning. "Why _me_…"

This was not at all what he had been expecting. Some sort of strange ceremony of allegiance, perhaps, but having a youngling pushed at you and being told to bond with them?! The City of Vos, he reflected, could do with some updating after all. In Iacon it was a criminal offence to bond with a youngling, the government considering them too unstable in their small shells. In his home city Kaon, well, _nothing_ was illegal in Kaon, but there were taboos and traditions just like in Vos, all of which declared Starscream at least a century too young.

Megatron groaned again, rubbing his faceplates.

"Do you like me?"

The Decepticon leader almost fell off the recharge bed in shock, aiming his cannon automatically at the source of the scratchy voice as he scrambled to get up and into a defensive stance. Once he had regained his bearings, he realized he was pointing his weapon at the very source of his troubles - Prince Starscream sat placidly on the table in the middle of the room.

Quickly, Megatron withdrew his weapon, kneeling down - Cyclonus had warned him not to point weapons at the royal family.

"Your Majesty, I apologize, you-"

"Stop kneeling," Starscream huffed in his lilting voice. "And don't call me 'your majesty', either."

Megatron stood, staring at the youngling in confusion. The youngling didn't seem frightened or suspicious of him at all - it irritated the Decepticon. Grown mechs ran screaming from him in the streets of Kaon, yet this golden-eyed youngling just stared at him curiously.

"How did you get in here?" Megatron asked irritably. "I'm sure you're not supposed to be in these chambers."

The youngling's expression turned sour. "I can pick a lock good as anyone. I'm young, not stupid," he replied, voice hoarse.

The Decepticon leader frowned, and decided to move over to the table where the Prince sat. He sat down on a chair near it. "What's wrong with your voice, little Prince?" he asked, blood-red eyes staring down critically at the youngling.

"'S always been like that," Starscream said merrily, picking at a chip on the table. "Cyclonus says one of my siblings broke it when I was still a protoform. I think it was Stormcloud. She doesn't like me. Do you like me?"

"I don't even know you," Megatron replied honestly. "I can hardly form an opinion on you."

"Oh…" the youngling looked back down at the floor, seemingly disappointed. Starscream looked up again hopefully. "Are you going to bond with me?"

"I…" the Decepticon leader faltered under the gaze of the youngling. "I haven't decided yet. Maybe. Do you _want_ to bond with me?"

Starscream grinned and cackled. "I dunno what bonding is. Cyclonus says I'm not allowed to ask until I'm older." Megatron's optics widened in horror. "He says it's something grown-ups do. But you're an outsider. Can I ask you? What's bonding?"

"_Absolutely not!_" Megatron bellowed, a little flustered. Starscream shrank back in surprise. "Uh, I mean - no. If Cyclonus said no, then you can't ask me."

The youngling pouted and continued picking at the chip on the table sulkily. The Decepticon leader wasn't sure what on earth to do, not having much experience with younglings, so the two sat in silence while Megatron stared dumbly at the youngling.

"I liked your speech," Starscream said suddenly, staring intensely at the older mech again. "I bet you're good at telling bedtime stories."

Megatron gaped. This conversation was getting more and more bizarre for him. "I…don't know any bedtime stories, child."

"_Starscream!_"

The two looked towards the door, where Cyclonus stood radiating with fury. "What in Primus' name are you doing here? I've been looking all over for you!" the Minister scolded, marching forwards with a hand outstretched to grab the youngling.

Starscream ducked out of the way - he was lighter and faster than Cyclonus. The Minister snatched forward, but the youngling managed to dodge every time, until Cyclonus finally chased Starscream out the door.

The Minister turned before leaving. "I apologize, Megatron. I will leave you in peace to make your decision."

Cyclonus transformed and left, leaving a rather bewildered Decepticon behind him.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 7  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: **None for this chapter  
**Pairings:** None for this chapter, eventual Megatron x Starscream.

* * *

The next morning came quickly.

Megatron nodded to himself, satisfied. He'd considered this plan from every possible angle, and by now he was sure that it was flawless. The Decepticon leader pressed the button on the main room's table, rewarding himself with a cube of energon. He downed it in one gulp - no point savouring it if it wasn't high-grade.

There was a knock at the door, and Cyclonus appeared once more.

"Have you made your decision? There's only an hour left until your meeting with the King," he said solemnly.

"I have. I'm ready," Megatron nodded calmly.

Cyclonus opened a subspace pocket, rummaging around it for a moment before producing a small box. He held it out to Megatron. "Here," he said, smiling softly. "A gift from Prince Starscream. I have no idea what it is."

The Decepticon leader frowned down at the box, opening it suspiciously. Cyclonus peered over, curious as to what Starscream would possibly give Megatron. The silver gladiator chuckled as he looked inside - a small datapad. He could guess what was on it. He turned it on, and as expected, the pad was loaded with a collection of bedtime stories, and a small note.

"Don't bond with me if you don't like me, please."

Megatron's smile disappeared at that. How could he possibly know enough about Starscream after only a day to say? How could he say whether Starscream would grow up to be a good Decepticon or not? He shook his head. His mind was made up now anyway.

He subspaced the datapad in a compartment in his arm, and followed Cyclonus out the door.

* * *

"Your Majesty, I accept your offer," Megatron announced, bowing deeply. By the throne, Prince Clearsky gave Starscream an encouraging pat on the wing. The thirteenth child smiled up gently at his older brother, while Shiningstar and Morningstar shook their heads in disapproval.

"Excellent," King Rainmaker boomed jovially, clasping his hands together with joy.

"_However_," Megatron continued carefully, "it is with much regret that I have to leave the city to take care of…urgent matters elsewhere. My lieutenant Strika has contacted me with a matter of grave importance. Rest assured, as soon as it is dealt with I will return to complete our agreement."

The King's expression faltered a little, but he nodded anyway, accepting. "I understand, of course - you have an army to attend to."

The session was soon dismissed, and the King and his children trailed out…except for Starscream. The youngest Prince walked up to Cyclonus, whispering something in the Minister's audios. Cyclonus nodded, taking the youngling's claw and walking with him towards Megatron.

"Starscream wishes to know when you will be back," Cyclonus stated simply, the thirteenth child hiding behind him a little.

"Oh? You can't ask me yourself?" Megatron asked, peering down at the youngling. The Prince gazed up at him sulkily, pouting. "Come now, don't be upset, child," Megatron said smoothly, kneeling down to Starscream's height. "I don't know how long it will take, little Prince. I apologize."

Starscream looked down at the floor sadly, uttering a small, immature chirp of unhappiness. Ignoring Cyclonus' lessons, Megatron raised a finger to touch Starscream's chin, tilting the youngling's face upwards.

"Your present was very nice, Starscream," he said quietly, voice soothing. "I have one for you too. Open it later." He produced a small, black box from his subspace pocket, and placed it in the youngling's claws.

"Thank you," Starscream mumbled, prodding the box curiously.

Then Megatron stood with a nod to the Minister. Cyclonus ushered Starscream away, and the Royal Guard escorted Megatron out the palace to the walls of Vos.

* * *

"My Lord!" Shockwave cried out in relief as Megatron boarded the ship. "I've been terribly worried for your safety! You have been gone far longer than the anticipated timeframe you gave me! Are you harmed?"

Megatron batted Shockwave away. "I'm just _fine_, Shockwave," he grumbled. "There were…unexpected complications. The King's terms of acceptance were not quite what I was expecting."

"Oh?" Shockwave asked curiously.

The Decepticon leader scratched his helm, the full reality of the situation suddenly hitting him. "I am…intended. To a youngling."

Shockwave's systems locked up in horror, and with a clang, the scientist keeled over.

* * *

"Well?" Cyclonus asked, sitting on the end of Starscream's recharge bed. As the youngest, Starscream was always put to recharge first, and the other twelve beds in the large chamber were currently empty.

"Well what?" Starscream asked, looking up from his datapad to stare at Cyclonus.

"What did Megatron give you?" Cyclonus pressed, smiling gently at his young charge.

The young prince pulled the black box out from under his berth. "I haven't opened it yet. He said to open it later."

Cyclonus patted Starscream's helm. "I think it's later, now. Go on, open it, little one."

Obediently, Starscream opened the black box. Inside lay a small device. The youngling frowned, holding it up, turning it this way and that. "What is it?" he asked the purple Minister.

The older flier plucked it from his small claws, examining it. "Ah," Cyclonus said after a while, "I know. It's a long-range communication device - it looks like it's been fitted with a private line."

"What am I s'posed to do with it?" huffed the small Seeker in confusion.

"Hmm, sometimes it has a pre-recorded message on it. Here," Cyclonus answered, attaching the device to Starscream's audios. "Listen. I'll turn it on."

The youngling listened carefully, and sure enough, a message started to play;

"_Starscream - if you are listening to this, I assume Cyclonus figured out how to use this device. Train well and work hard while I am gone. I am sure it must be difficult being last in line to the throne, but Cyclonus believes you have talent. If you are ever lonely and Cyclonus is too busy to tend to you, you may use this device to contact me. I will do my best to read you a bedtime story - but I make no promises on the quality of my stories._"

The youngling grinned. Cyclonus arched an optic ridge. "Well?" the older flier asked again.

"I guess it's so I can call him in emergencies," Starscream replied vaguely, settling down into his berth. The Minister smiled softly once more, shaking his head and tucking the youngling in.

"Good night, your Majesty," Cyclonus said gently.

"Night, Cyclonus," the Fuchsia Seeker replied happily, closing his optics and quickly falling into recharge - still wearing the device.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 8  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: **None for this chapter  
**Pairings:** Slight Megatron x Starscream, now ;)

* * *

Within a second, all five targets had smoking holes in the centre of them.

"Again," Starscream barked at one of the soldiers. The green Seeker quickly set up another round of targets, moving away so that Starscream could take aim. The Seeker positioned his null rays - the weapons he had constructed for himself ten years ago - and blew all five targets away.

"Again!" he repeated irritably.

"Why? You hit them all dead-centre," came a voice from behind him, and Starscream spun around to see his older brother Prince Clearsky, accompanied by Princess Nightwing.

"I missed by an entire millimetre," Starscream snapped, turning again to take aim. "If those targets were spark-chambers, a millimetre could mean the difference between killing my enemy and letting them live."

"How awful!" Nightwing said with a grimace, wrinkling her nose plates. "You've become such a violent mech."

The targets were blown away once more, and Starscream barked "Again!" before turning to face his elder sister. "We are close to all out war, sibling," he replied in his usual rasp. "I cannot afford to be anything less."

"Oh, you and your war," Clearsky laughed, patting Starscream condescendingly on the shoulder. "You don't honestly believe those silly stories of the outside world your lunatic of a fiancé tells you, do you?"

Starscream narrowed his optics. "It is not _just_ my intended. The ministers and messengers have all reported increasing tensions in the rest of Cybertron. Fighting has already broken out in Kaon. Even Minister Cyclonus has said so."

"Oh, and I'm sure _that's_ why your intended has been away for a whole century," Nightwing spat sarcastically. "Busy fighting in his awful city. Who would fight for _Kaon_?"

The thirteenth youngling snarled at his sister wordlessly, before turning to blow each target away one by one, null rays on their most explosive setting.

"Now, now, you two…" Clearsky said worriedly.

"Well it _has_ been a century!" Nightwing sneered, intent on rubbing it in Starscream's face as much as possible. "It's disgraceful enough to be betrothed to a mech that wasn't born a flier! Even worse that he hasn't yet come back for you! He probably doesn't even want you - that's why he's been away so long. He figured out why we gave you to an outsider. You're a curse, Starscream! The unlucky, worthless, thirteenth child! _You_ killed our mother!"

Before either of the older siblings knew what had happened, the Princess had been knocked over onto the floor. Starscream was towering over Nightwing, null ray aimed squarely at her face.

"Our _mother_," hissed the thirteenth, "should have listened to the advisors that declared her spark too weak to carry another child after she had Shiningstar."

"Starscream," a cool voice interrupted, and all three Royal children looked up to see Cyclonus.

"Oh, good, _you're_ here," Nightwing smirked, "now you can tell Starscream off! Look what he's done!"

"Starscream," repeated Cyclonus in his monotonous voice, "you let your emotions distract you. Had I been an enemy, I would have had more than a minute to shoot you in the back just now. You must detach yourself. Do not allow yourself to be drawn in to petty arguments."

Nightwing and Clearsky gaped. "That's not at all what I meant!" the Princess shrieked, outraged. "Punish him for knocking me over and aiming a weapon at my face! I order you!"

"On the contrary," Cyclonus replied, "I should be punishing you for allowing yourself so carelessly to be defeated by your youngest sibling. However…Starscream, that is enough for today. Come with me."

The thirteenth obediently followed, sparing his siblings one last withering glare.

* * *

"_Starscream? Are you there?_"

The youngest sat up in his berth in surprise. Usually, it was Starscream that called Megatron, and the Seeker only did so sparingly - after all, Megatron was busy fighting in Kaon. The thirteenth youngling had laid down for recharge early that night, although he was no longer required to do so. Now the Decepticon's rich voice was echoing around his audio units.

"I'm here," Starscream answered into the communication device.

"_Excellent. Cyclonus contacted me earlier today_," Megatron explained. "_I hear you are doing well in your training._"

"Cyclonus says I am too emotional," Starscream answered honestly, looking down at his lap sadly. "I don't think I am doing well at all."

Megatron snorted. "_Cyclonus told me about your siblings. I can assure you they would not last long in battle - they should be able to defend themselves at their age, but you knocked one down with ease._"

Starscream smiled to himself. "Hm," he murmured. "Why don't you tell me why you're really calling, Megatron? It isn't like you."

The Decepticon leader laughed. "_I am glad to hear that you are not still the gullible youngling I left behind_," he replied smoothly. "_My reason for calling is twofold. First, I wanted to tell you myself that I am coming back to Vos soon_."

"You've said that plenty of times," Starscream sighed, rolling his optics even though the Decepticon couldn't see him.

"_I have made all the arrangements, Starscream. I will be arriving in a matter of weeks._"

"We'll see," the Seeker replied, voice smug, but not quite betraying his hopefulness. "What was the second reason, then?"

"_Since Cyclonus praised you so highly, and you hadn't called in a while, I supposed I would reward you_," Megatron almost purred, his voice soothing and hypnotic in stark contrast to Starscream's scratchy rasp. "_What will it be, little Prince? A bedtime story?_"

"No, no, no," Starscream laughed. "Tell me…about Kaon. Tell me about the war."

The Seeker grinned as Megatron enthusiastically began to recount his exploits, never exaggerating. He could practically hear the pride rolling off Megatron's tongue - the youngling no longer wanted stories of imaginary wars, but the war of his intended. Starscream closed his eyes, trying to imagine what Kaon must be like, occasionally interrupting to ask what things looked like - he was surprised when Megatron told him there were no spires in Kaon, only buildings close to the ground. It was hard for Starscream to imagine what mechs without wings looked like, the only one he had ever seen being the Decepticon leader himself. Ultra Magnus was a particularly difficult mech to imagine - a hammer? How on earth would one wield a hammer in the air?

The every move of the Decepticon army for the past five months was repeated to the youngling in detail, until the late hours of the night, when the rest of the Royal children were quietly in recharge in their own berths. Megatron could hear Starscream's questions were getting less and less frequent as the youngling grew sleepy.

"_You're tired, little Prince. I will tell you the rest when I arrive._"

"M'kay," Starscream relented, already half in recharge. "Megatron?"

"_Yes, Starscream?_"

"Do you like me?"

"_Yes, Starscream._"

The youngling smiled, content to give in to the pull of sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 9  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: **A bit of violence? None, really.  
**Pairings:** None for this chapter, eventual Megatron x Starscream.

Uh-oh, Megatron isn't being as honest as he seems...XD Sorry this chapter ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.  
Thank you again for all the lovely reviews!

* * *

King Rainmaker looked down at the scratched face of his second child, Prince Dreadwing.

"And you're telling me," the King said in his usual loud voice, "that Starscream did that to you?"

"Yes! Why must I repeat myself?" Dreadwing snarled, pointing at his face. "Look how deep these scratches are! He used his pit-damned claws, father!"

The King cycled a breath of air through his vents. "Why did he do it, then? You must have done _something_ to slag Starscream off."

Dreadwing looked away, answering as vaguely as possible. "I just told him the truth," he spat out. "It isn't _my_ fault if he can't handle it."

"Truth? The truth about what?" King Rainmaker asked.

"That's he's _defective_!" shouted Dreadwing, making the Royal Guards stationed in the room cringe. "You and mother never should have had him! His intended is coming soon and _good riddance_, the lunatic can take Starscream with him!"

"_Megatron_ is a very important political ally," bristled Rainmaker. "If I hear either you or your siblings referring to him as the 'lunatic' again I will not stop him from punishing you for it. Your mother loved Starscream just as much as she loved you, Dreadwing. In my eyes, my children are all equal," the King explained, not quite convincingly. Dreadwing snorted as a medic came in and started tending to his scratched face plates.

"You keep telling yourself that, Father," sneered the cerulean flier. "Starscream is bad luck. You mark my words, he'll be the downfall of Vos."

As the second Prince stormed out the room, followed by the panicky medic who had only half finished repairing the scratches, the King sighed, burying his face in his hands with a groan. "This is getting out of control…"

* * *

"My lord," Shockwave protested for what had to be the hundredth time, "I really do feel this is most unwise."

"I have told you before, Shockwave," Megatron repeated himself, a wicked grin ghosting his features, "I have a few tricks yet. I won't be bonding with Starscream…yet, anyway."

"And how will the poor youngling react to _that_, I wonder," the purple Decepticon muttered, antennae drooping. Megatron glared at his subordinate as he continued to polish his dark, silver armour.

"Oh, where are the brands, anyway?" the Decepticon asked suddenly. "Cyclonus told me to bring Decepticon brands. Yet another custom of some sort."

Shockwave's single optic seemed to grow in size. "Brands?!" he nearly shrieked, "On a _youngling_? That's appalling!"

"By the end of the war, we will all be branded one way or another," pointed out Megatron as he worked on a particularly stubborn stain - a splash of an enemy's energon from a week or so back. "Decepticon…or Autobot."

* * *

"Megatron," Cyclonus said with his usual distant smile, arms out in greeting. "It is good to see you again."

The Decepticon leader landed on the platform along with the Royal Guards escorting him. He nodded to Cyclonus. "It is good to be here again. I need the fliers of Vos now more than ever."

Cyclonus led him inside, up the familiar spiral staircase to the same chambers Megatron had stayed in last time. "Everything is ready for your bonding," the Minister informed him. "I will have to teach you the customs surrounding it, of course."

Megatron grumbled in the back of his vocaliser, and Cyclonus chuckled. "Don't worry, Megatron. Our bonding ceremonies are surprisingly simple."

"Oh?" the Decepticon asked, arching an optic ridge quizzically.

"You will be led into a chamber," explained the Minister, "where at least one creator must say a few words - that would be the King. The other Ministers and myself will act as witnesses to the ceremony. You must brand your intended with the marks of your lineage - or, in your case, the Decepticon symbol will have to do. Then you and Starscream will be locked inside the room for the night to bond. The door is unlocked by the creator, King Rainmaker, in the morning."

"Seems easy enough," Megatron supposed with a shrug. He poured himself a cube of energon, sensing he would need it.

"Good," Cyclonus smiled, "because you have a very impatient youngling waiting for you. Shall we go?"

The Decepticon leader downed his cube and nodded, smiling deceptively. "Let's get it over with, then."


	10. Chapter 10

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 10  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: **None, really.  
**Pairings:** Megatron x Starscream, but nothing too slashy yet.

Ohohoho, another cliffhanger. I'm so evil.

* * *

'A few words', Cyclonus had said. Yeah. Slagging. Right.

An hour ago, Megatron had walked into the chamber prepared for the bonding, with Cyclonus ushering him in. The King and his Ministers were already there, all eager to complete the century old agreement between Vos and the Decepticons. Starscream had been standing next to his father, beaming up at Megatron, and the Decepticon couldn't help but smile in return at the youngling's enthusiasm.

And then…King Rainmaker had started talking. And hadn't stopped.

Megatron resisted the urge to yawn or stretch his limbs. He couldn't even understand what the King was saying, the ceremony being conducted in the old language of Vos, from before the time when they too had assimilated the common language of Cybertron. Starscream had become fairly restless as well, twitching his wings every few seconds. His gold optics were darting around the room, and Megatron wondered if he was just bored or if he too had no idea what the King was talking about. Fliers were not known for standing still for long periods of time, and it surprised Megatron that the Ministers were still so content to stand silently in witness to the ceremony - not a twitch or shuffle between them.

Suddenly, the King (still talking) flourished his arms, and one of the older, more important Ministers picked up the Decepticon brands and began to charge them. The youngling eyed them warily, but seemed to steel himself, becoming very still. Cyclonus then pulled out a chair as the King continued his speech, which Starscream sat down on - presumably so that he wouldn't fall over from the pain of branding.

It was at this point that Megatron suddenly realized - looking at the wings of the Ministers, they each bore _four_ brands, one each side of their wings. Even the King wore the royal seal on all four sides. Of course - they all had cockpits! There was no space for a single branding. The Decepticon leader was suddenly very grateful that he only had to wear one brand on his chest.

The King moved over to stand beside Starscream, and the Minister handed Megatron the charged brands. Still speaking, almost chanting now, King Rainmaker pointed at a spot on Starscream's right wing. The youngling closed his optics, dental plates gritted. Somehow, Megatron felt more nervous than Starscream appeared to be - he'd branded many mechs, but never a flier's sensitive wings. With a nod, he pressed the brand to Starscream's wing.

The youngling made a strangled noise, as if swallowing a scream, but the King quickly moved over to point at Starscream's other wing. Another brand - another whimper from the trembling youngling. Megatron was ushered around to the other side of the thirteenth, and quickly pressed the last two brands to the wings.

As Cyclonus indicated for Megatron to retake his place on the other side of the King, the Decepticon leader couldn't help but try to comfort the youngling, dragging an apologetic finger along the tip of Starscream's shaking wings. The youngling opened his optics slowly to look up at Megatron - no longer golden, but the blood red of the Decepticons.

"The ceremony is complete," King Rainmaker announced, and the Decepticon leader bit his tongue before he yelled something along the lines of 'thank fragging Primus!'. The Ministers started to file out, each bowing to Megatron and Starscream in turn. "It's time to lock the doors."

With a bow from the King, the heavy doors to the chamber were slammed shut, and the locks outside clicked into place.

Megatron turned to face Starscream, who was still sitting on the chair grimacing. "Does it hurt?" the silver mech asked the youngling, walking over to continue running a finger up and down his wings.

"It just…stings. I'll be fine," Starscream rasped stoically. Megatron stroked the youngling's helm comfortingly, the red-eyed Seeker leaning into the touch.

"Cyclonus finally explained to you what bonding was, then?" the Decepticon leader asked with a smirk.

"Only out of necessity," Starscream smiled bitterly. "I think he still sees me as a sparkling sometimes. They all do, here."

"Not a sparkling," cooed Megatron gently, in his rich voice, "but still very, very young. In Iacon and Polyhex, this whole ceremony would be illegal." The two were silent a while, Megatron continuing to caress Starscream's helm. Then the silver Decepticon pulled a chair closer, and placed it in front of the flier. He took the small claws of the youngling in his, and looked Starscream straight in the optics.

"I have a confession to make," Megatron announced decisively.

The youngling's face fell as the larger black hands gripped his tightly. He gulped. "W…what?"

"I'm not going to bond with you."


	11. Chapter 11

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 11  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: **None, really.  
**Pairings:** Megatron x Starscream, but nothing too slashy yet.

There is something wonderfully ridiculous about Megatron and bedtime stories.  
Thank you again for the lovely reviews! I'm writing hard haha XD Wow, 11 chapters in less than 24 hours. I'm on a roll! I hope you'll excuse any typos, I check for them but I don't like to use betas. That way I can get them out faster.

* * *

"_You WHAT_?!" screeched Starscream, and Megatron abruptly found himself on the floor with the youngling standing atop of him.

"Listen to me, Starscream," Megatron growled, rolling over and pulling the youngling down easily, pinning the flier down gently by the neck. "I'm not going to bond with you _tonight_. I will bond with you, you have my word. But not tonight."

The Seeker thrashed beneath him, grasping at Megatron's arm, and the Decepticon leader absently reflected that the youngling had grown an awful lot in the last century - though still not posing any sort of challenge, Megatron had to use the full weight of his arm to keep Starscream down.

Eventually the thirteenth child stopped struggling, pouting up at Megatron instead with one of the most petulant expressions the older mech had ever seen. "Why?" he rasped simply, and Megatron loosened his hold, sitting up and pulling the youngling into his lap.

"Little Prince, it just isn't safe - for _either_ of us," Megatron explained gently. "You are young and inexperienced still. If you died in battle alongside me, if we were bonded, I would die too. Who would lead the Decepticons then?"

The youngling huffed, scrunching up his faceplates. "I guess…"

"I want you to be my heir, Starscream," purred the larger Decepticon into the youngling's audios. "No more thirteenth in line. First in line to the Decepticon Empire. If you were bonded to me, if I died, you'd never even stand a chance. One of us goes down, the other follows."

"But I'm not _supposed_ to be your heir!" growled the youngling, crossing his arms over his chest irritably. "I'm supposed to rule alongside you! I'm supposed to be your bondmate!"

"As soon as it's safe, I'll bond with you," Megatron murmured, nuzzling into the Seeker's audios.

"And when will _that_ be?" snarled Starscream, pushing the Decepticon leader's helm away from his own. "It took you a whole century just to get back to Vos - and now you're not even going to bond with me!"

"Oh but I _am_ going to bond with you. As soon as the war is over, as soon as the Decepticons triumph and the Autobots admit defeat," pressed Megatron. "I _need_ the fliers of Vos. With them, this war will be over in no time."

"So you want me to pretend that we're bonded? Just so you can get my Father's army?" Starscream muttered, refusing to look Megatron in the optics.

"Yes, I do. Can you do that for me, my little Prince?" said the tyrant silkily.

The youngling was silent for a few moments. Then he turned in Megatron's lap, facing the older mech fully. "You promise you'll bond with me one day?" he asked sadly.

With a light kiss on the Seeker's forehead, Megatron murmured against the dark helm, "I promise." And with that, Starscream curled his arms around Megatron's neck.

"You…you still like me, right?" Starscream whispered into the cables of Megatron's neck.

"I do," chuckled the Decepticon leader - and strangely, he reflected, it was the truth. He'd come to look forward to their calls over the last century, waiting expectantly for the little youngling to ask for a bedtime story. There was an odd affection in his spark for the troublesome Seeker. "Come," Megatron said, lifting Starscream up into his arms like one would a sparkling and carrying him into the berthroom, "I'll read you stories all night instead. I even got some of my Decepticons to write some new ones for you."

"M'kay," Starscream smiled, tightening his grip on the Decepticon's shoulders.

The Decepticon leader settled down on the berth, placing the youngling in his lap again where the Seeker curled up comfortably. Megatron withdrew a large datapad from his subspace pocket and turned it on.

They had to go through four stories before Starscream found one he liked the sound of - Shockwave's, in particular, was appalling, and read more like a history textbook than anything else. Oil Slick - a chemical warfare expert, Megatron explained to the youngling - had also contributed a story, but it turned out to be more of a recipe for explosive cocktails and fun things to do with them. Finally, they reached Strika's one, and though Megatron struggled to translate some parts of the story from Strika's language into common Cybertronian, it seemed to suit Starscream just fine.

"Once upon a cycle," Megatron began dramatically, "there was a small flier who lived in Vos. Many times, his creators had told him not to venture outside the walls, but the little flier was curious and often sneaked over the walls to see the outside world.

"One day, when the weather was particularly nice and there wasn't a storm cloud in sight, he decided to go south. After many hours of swooping and diving, the little flier found himself flying over Kaon. But suddenly, out of nowhere, a thunder storm appeared, and he was struck by lightning. He fell down into the dark streets of Kaon.

"When he came back online, he found himself surrounded by evil groundlings. Every one of them had a different weapon - all pointed at the little flier. The flier cried out in fear, and was heard by a gladiator that happened to be passing by. The gladiator killed the evil mechs and rescued the little flier.

"The flier was so grateful that he made a pair of wings for the gladiator, and taught him how to fly. Together, they flew to Cybertron's moons, where they started their own city. The end," finished Megatron.

"Are there really cities on our moons?" Starscream asked drowsily.

"Small colonies, but not cities, and a few energon mines," explained the Decepticon. "I worked in one of the mines, a long, long time ago."

"How old are you, anyway?" laughed the youngling, rubbing at his optics with a yawn.

"Old enough to be your creator," Megatron teased, stroking the newly imprinted brands on Starscream's wings. "Are you ready to recharge?"

"Mmh…I guess…but tell me more stories until I fall asleep," Starscream said, smacking his palm against Megatron's chest lightly.

"Very well," the Decepticon leader said, and began a bizarre story written by Spittor - but no sooner had he started, Starscream was already asleep in his arms.


	12. Chapter 12

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 12  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: **None, really.  
**Pairings:** Megatron x Starscream, but nothing too slashy yet.

* * *

Megatron woke the next morning with the datapad still turned on in one of his hands, Starscream lying peacefully asleep on top of him.

He stretched as best he could with the youngling still on him, turning off the datapad and putting it back in his subspace. Soon, he heard footsteps outside - then, the clink of locks and keys, and the heavy door to the bonding chamber was opened. The noise woke the youngling, and the Prince yawned sleepily, rolling off Megatron.

The King was the first to enter, with Cyclonus at his side. "Congratulations to the both of you!" he boomed, and Starscream winced at the noise, raising his claws to his audios. "Come, Megatron - I am sure we have much to discuss with our agreement now in place."

"Of course, your Majesty," Megatron replied, and after ghosting a hand over Starscream's wings one last time, followed the King out of the chambers.

Cyclonus looked down at the Seeker with a frown.

"What?" Starscream grumbled, looking very much as if he'd like to go back into recharge.

"Your paintjob. Not a streak of silver anywhere. Either Megatron was _very_ gentle with you indeed," Cyclonus said quietly, "or you didn't bond at all."

Starscream stared up at his guardian, red optics wide. "He…he was very gentle," the Seeker lied hurriedly. "He said I was still small so he was very nice to me."

The purple Minister eyed the Prince once more, utterly unconvinced. "Hmph."

* * *

Starscream wandered back down to the Royal children's bedroom, intent on going back to sleep. His wings still ached from the new brands.

"Move that out there, yes - get rid of it. He won't be needing it anymore," came the voice of Dreadwing. Starscream froze, flattening himself against the wall of the corridor. He peered around the corner to see what was happening.

His berth was out in the corridor! And two of the Royal Guard were - removing it?!

"What's going on?" he demanded, rounding the corner furiously.

"Dear Primus, Starscream!" Prince Dreadwing gasped, recoiling. "What on Cybertron have you done to your optics? Why are they red?!"

The younger seeker snarled, stretching his claws menacingly. "_All_ Decepticons wear red optics, Dreadwing. You will soon, too. What are you doing with my berth!?"

"Please," Dreadwing laughed cruelly, "you don't actually think you're staying in here anymore? You're bonded now. You'll be sleeping in the same berth as Megatron from now on, little glitch." And with that, the cerulean Prince slammed the doors in Starscream's face.

"Who was that?" one of the Princesses asked from inside, loud enough for anyone outside to hear - either Stormcloud or Raincloud, they sounded so similar.

"Starscream. Poor sparkling thinks he's still sleeping in here," cackled Dreadwing.

"We should be nice to him, really," Prince Clearsky commented. "After all, we'll be rid of him as soon as Megatron leaves."

"Unless Megatron leaves him here with us," Princess Nightwing pointed out nastily in her nasally voice. "He left him here for a whole century last time. Who's to say he won't just slag off with our army and leave Starscream here?"

Outside, Starscream grit his dental plates together, restraining himself from bursting in and attacking all of them. Instead, he pressed his audios to the door, trying to hear what they said next.

"Father won't allow it," Rainmaker said evenly, staying out of the petty commentary, as a future king should. "Starscream has always been trained to become a warrior. Father will insist on Megatron taking Starscream out to battle. It is only natural he continues his education in a real environment."

The rest of his siblings murmured in agreement, and the youngling stepped back from the door. He knew that once Rainmaker had given his opinion, the conversation was over - that was just how it was. He walked silently back down the corridors, down the spiralling staircase of the palace's central shaft, and picked his way into the ambassadorial chambers, where he waited quietly for Megatron.


	13. Chapter 13

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 13  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: **None, really.  
**Pairings:** Megatron x Starscream, but nothing too slashy yet.

* * *

"Welcome aboard, Air Commander Starscream," Shockwave said with a salute. "I am Shockwave, head of Intelligence and Espionage."

"'Air Commander'?" Starscream repeated as he walked on board the small Decepticon ship.

"Ah, Megatron didn't tell you?" Shockwave faltered, single optic blinking in confusion. "You will be leading our aerial forces once Lord Megatron is satisfied with your abilities."

"'Lord' Megatron?" Starscream repeated again, scratching his helm with bewilderment.

"Yes, _Lord_ Megatron of the Decepticon Empire," Shockwave said irritably. "Please stop repeating what I say." Starscream stared at the Intelligence officer for a while, before turning his attention to the ship, looking about worriedly. Shockwave cleared his vocaliser. "I suppose you will be sad to leave your home?" he asked, attempting small talk as best he could.

"…No," Starscream replied, expression darkening. "I'm quite happy to leave. In fact, I couldn't care less where I am, so long as I am away from Vos."

"Oh…I…see. Well then," coughed Shockwave awkwardly. Fortunately, Megatron landed on the ship just then.

"We are ready to go, Shockwave. Set a course for our base in Kaon," he ordered.

"Megatron, am I really supposed to be an Air Commander?" Starscream asked anxiously.

The Decepticon leader chuckled, patting the youngling's helm gently. "Not yet, Starscream. One day you will be. But come - I will show you to your room, and you can settle in."

The youngling followed obediently after Megatron. "Aren't I staying in your room?" Starscream asked, frowning.

"No, Starscream," Megatron said smoothly, continuing down the hall. Starscream stopped, before running in front of Megatron and halting the Decepticon leader.

"Dreadwing said I'm supposed to share a berth with you. Why aren't I staying in your room?" demanded the youngling, staring up at Megatron intensely. "I'm still your 'bondmate'!"

The Decepticon leader pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "Starscream, in the real world, things are not always how you want them to be," he explained, trying to be patient. "This is particularly so when we are on the verge of all out war. I cannot have everyone in my army knowing that you are supposed to be my bondmate. As soon as this becomes public knowledge, you will have snipers and assassins after you every waking moment - they'll assume you are weaker than me, and try to target _you_ in order to kill me."

"But…but why can't I stay in your room?" Starscream protested again.

"_Because_, mechs will get suspicious if you are sharing my berth!" growled Megatron. "Not to mention your age. As I said before, you are still far too young to be bonded in the world outside of Vos. I want to be feared, not thought of as sick and twisted. There will be no mention outside of Vos that you are my intended. From now on, you are simply my newest, talented recruit."

The youngling gaped silently. Then, his mouth twisted into an ugly grimace, his new red optics narrowing in fury and indignation. "_It's not fair_," he hissed quietly, but his words soon became an all out scream. "IT'S NOT FAIR!"

"No, it isn't," Megatron replied firmly. "You can either accept it, or I can tell Shockwave to turn this ship around and take you back to Vos."

Starscream screeched wordlessly, twisting on his turbine heels to storm down the corridor. He punched open the door to a room - any room, he didn't care - and marched inside it.

"You _said_ you _liked_ me, Megatron," he snarled, before punching the controls once more, the door to the room sliding shut and locking.

The Decepticon leader rubbed his face wearily, before leaning against the door and speaking through it. "Be reasonable, Starscream," he sighed irritably. "You've led a pampered life. You'll have to come out of there and face the _real_ Cybertron sometime."

And with that, he walked back down the hall to the command room of the tiny ship.

* * *

"It's been hours, my Lord. Would you like the override codes to the utility closets?" Shockwave asked.

Megatron looked up from the report he was reading from Oil Slick. "I suppose so," he sighed. "Just override all the locks and I'll go deal with Starscream." The Intelligence officer nodded and did as he was instructed.

When Megatron opened the closet Starscream had shut himself in, he found the Seeker curled up in a small ball, recharging. His optics were stained with cleansing fluid - a sure sign the Prince had been crying. "Oh, Starscream…" murmured the Decepticon leader sadly. He reached into the closet and picked the sleeping youngling up.

"Mhmf…Megatron?" mumbled Starscream sleepily as he was lifted.

"Shh, little Prince," Megatron soothed him, walking towards the youngling's new room. With a yawn, the fuchsia Seeker wrapped his arms around Megatron's neck, sniffling quietly. "Now, now, don't cry. Brave Decepticons don't cry." Starscream nodded slightly, burying his face in the silver mech's neck cables.

The Decepticon leader opened the door to the youngling's room, laying the Seeker on the berth inside. He sat down next to Starscream and began to stroke the grey-blue, striped wings softly. "I know you just want to be liked, Starscream," Megatron sighed. "I _do_ like you. You have to remember that. I do these things that make you unhappy _because_ I like you - I don't want you to get hurt. I don't want you to die a youngling. Do you understand?"

The Seeker nodded a little. "Sorta," he sniffed. "But it makes me sad."

"I'm sorry, Starscream," Megatron murmured, kissing the Seeker's forehead gently. "Would you rather have everything your way, and have me not like you?"

"No," the youngling said quickly, shaking his head violently.

"Then you'll just have to get used to it, little Prince. Now, recharge properly. You'll need it," Megatron said, standing up to leave.

"Megatron?"

The silver mech turned. "Yes, Starscream?"

"Will you stay with me just for tonight? Just one more night? Then I'll be good, I promise. I can be patient, too," Starscream said earnestly.

The Decepticon Lord chuckled, lying down to cradle the youngling in his arms. "Just tonight, then."


	14. Chapter 14

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 14  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: **A bit of violence?  
**Pairings:** Megatron x Starscream, but nothing too slashy yet.

This chapter is a bit sad, I think, but most of you seemed to be expecting it to come sooner or later. Ah well.  
The next few chapters are spaced less close together in terms of time - there are lots of timeskips and things abound, so pay attention! ;) Hopefully it should be obvious when things are taking place.

* * *

The tall mech surveyed the battlefield.

In the distance, Lugnut was finishing off an Autobot, trying to extract information from his helpless enemy in the most roundabout way possible - even Strika was more effective at getting information out of Autobots, and she could only half speak common Cybertronian. On the west side, a little closer, Blitzwing was laughing at Primus knew what - it looked to be a corpse that he was arranging in an odd position. The mech twisted the lens of his optic, trying to get a closer look…oh. _Oh_. Blitzwing had gotten hold of several corpses, and was arranging them in the form of rude words.

The mech was interrupted from his thoughts when his comm.-link buzzed into life. "_Starscream. Report_."

"We're finished here, Megatron," Starscream replied, flicking his wings. In the corner of his optic, he saw movement low on the ground, and he shot his null ray at it automatically - a high pitched scream confirmed his suspicions, and Lugnut hurriedly charged over to finish the job. "The Autobots have been successfully defeated."

"_Rest your troops for the next hour - Shockwave has reported another resistance group on the north side, five kilometres away. Engage once your troops are ready_," Megatron ordered. He sounded weary, and just about ready to rip an Autobot's head off. Again.

"Yes, my Lord," Starscream answered with a sigh. Disengaging his comm.-link, he began to round up his unit.

* * *

"This is ridiculous."

Blitzwing's icy face looked up from their make-shift campfire. The intelligence had proved to be a false lead - that, or the resistance group had fled once they heard the Decepticons flying over. "Vat iz, Starscream?" he asked.

"_This_!" the Seeker gestured at the ruined city around them, exasperated. "This war! It was supposed to be over in a couple of centuries, tops! How long has it been now?" he demanded.

"Ohh, a millennia? No no, it haz been one thouzand, five hundred und thirty seven years," Blitzwing said honestly.

"Right, right," grumbled Starscream. "I was a slagging _youngling_ when this war started."

Blitzwing's face shifted into the black, laughing personality. "Und look vhat a handsome adult mech you turned out to be! Ahahaha!" he screeched. Starscream just snorted, refusing to listen to anything the crazy side of Blitzwing had to say.

His comm.-link burst into life again. "What _now_?" he groused, activating it quickly.

"_Vos has fallen_," Megatron said simply. "_The Autobots have demolished the entire city. I thought you'd want to know_."

Starscream almost stalled his systems in surprise. Before Megatron could disconnect the line, he quickly spoke up. "How…how many were left inside the city?"

"_Just the palace residents - there were no survivors. The citizens fled two weeks ago. The army is with us. Cyclonus is stationed on one of the moons with a small unit._"

Starscream thought for a moment, then nodded to himself. The Seeker answered with one word, then disconnected the line. "Good."

His unit sat around the campfire in silence. Then, Blitzwing's cold, blue face spun into view once more, and in an acid tone, announced "Long live Starscream, King of Vos."

* * *

He'd had enough. He slapped Starscream hard across the cheek.

It had started earlier that day, when the Autobots had managed a crushing defeat against the Decepticon siege on Iacon. Starscream, Shockwave, Strika, every one of his generals and commanders had warned him it would end in disaster. They retreated, miserable and disheartened, morale sinking the lowest it had ever been since the start of the war.

And then, Starscream brought _it_ up.

"We should be bonded by now," he said simply, letting himself into Megatron's quarters.

"Not now, Starscream," growled the tyrant, not raising his optics from the battle plans in front of him, covering the desk.

"This war has gone for two millennia now. Today was the anniversary of our first battle," Starscream stated, seating himself on the edge of the desk.

"Not. Now. Starscream," Megatron repeated, still not raising his optics. The Air Commander's own optics twitched in irritation.

"It was supposed to be _easy_," he hissed. "Nobody even knows what the body count is now, it's gone on so long. Twelve potential heirs to the throne of Vos - all gone. Who would have thought poor little Starscream, thirteenth in line, would ever become the King of Vos? You? Because if _that's_ what you wanted, you got it."

"Yes," Megatron snarled sarcastically, clenching his fists. "And you know what you said when it happened? You said 'Good'. That was your exact word. Do _not_ try and imply to _ME_ that you are grieving for your siblings. We both know exactly how you felt about your family."

"I'm _saying_ that this war has gone on for too long!" snapped the Seeker. "The population of Cybertron has gone down by three quarters! By the time one side wins, there won't be anyone _left_ to rule over!"

Megatron said nothing, opening and closing his fists in an attempt to calm himself. Starscream chose to ignore it.

"We were supposed to be bonded by now," he repeated sulkily.

"FOR THE LOVE OF PRIMUS, STARSCREAM!" roared the Decepticon leader. "This is not all about _you_! This is a war!"

"No, it's all about _you_, isn't it?" the Seeker replied, pitch rising with each word until he was shrieking. "I am the heir to the throne of Vos now! I could tell all the Seekers that you played the King for a fool, that you _never_ bonded with me! I could take them _all_ back to Vos, and rebuild my city, but _you!_ You won't settle for anything less than the entire planet, will you? No, it's not _enough_ that we control _most_ of the planet! You just want more and more! We're stretched too thin, you fool! The Autobots are getting through the cracks everywhere we go, because _you_ aren't content to just-"

He'd had enough. He slapped Starscream hard across the cheek.

Time seemed to stop in that moment - Megatron was almost surprised that he'd hit his intended, and Starscream just gaped at him stupidly, optics wide. Then the Seeker raised his claws to his cheek, slow as a glacier. He withdrew his hand and looked at it in surprise, as if he was seeing it for the first time, then looked back at Megatron.

Without a word, he stood and left the room.

The Decepticon Commander stared after Starscream for a long time - until finally, he roared, punching the wall of his office so hard that his metal fingers cracked open, the words of a youngling echoing around his head;

"_Do you like me?_"


	15. Chapter 15

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 15  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: **None  
**Pairings:** Megatron x Starscream, but nothing too slashy yet.

* * *

Cyclonus dragged Starscream back to Megatron's main unit a year later.

Until Megatron saw Cyclonus' face that day, he hadn't even thought the calm, purple flier to be capable of rage.

"_What_," began the flier, in a deceptively serene voice, "did you say or do to him?"

The Decepticon Commander narrowed his optics fiercely. "This is not Vos, and you will address me as your commander here, Cyclonus," he replied. "I will excuse you this time - I know that you were close to Starscream when he was a child. Your emotions cloud your judgement here."

"Alright, _commander_. What in the name of the pit happened, for me to find him half battered, missing a wing and drunk off his processor in the remains of a bar in Kaon!?" Cyclonus yelled, ignoring the looks of the other Decepticons in the room that seemed to be saying "don't do it, don't do it!" Starscream, for his part, seemed to be offline, hanging limply over Cyclonus' shoulder.

"You four," Megatron snapped at the Decepticons in the room. "Dismissed." They all hurried out, closing the door behind them. Megatron turned his attention back to Cyclonus with a sigh. "Where did you say you'd found him? I've been sending out search parties looking for the brat since he left a year ago."

"Downtown Kaon - or what's left of it," Cyclonus grumbled. "He tried to punch me when I said I was taking him back to you."

"If you must know," Megatron groaned, rubbing his optics wearily, "we had an argument. He went too far. I slapped him. He left."

Cyclonus stood still suddenly, then narrowed his optics as he relaxed. "You said…you sent out search parties for him," he repeated.

Megatron nodded with a frown, unsure of the relevance of this.

"I was right," Cyclonus said through gritted dental plates. "You _didn't_ bond with him that night. If you had, you would have known exactly where he was all year."

Very quickly, Cyclonus found a fusion cannon aimed at his head. "You tell _anyone_, I will not hesitate to blow your head off and use your body for sheet metal," hissed Megatron, snatching the limp figure of Starscream off his shoulder and storming to the other side of the room.

Before leaving for the med bay, Megatron hesitated. "…Thank you for bringing him back to me," he grunted. Cyclonus just shook his head in disbelief.

* * *

The first words out of Starscream's mouth, once fixed and sober, were "Are you ready to bond with me yet?"

Megatron _almost_ slapped the Seeker again.

* * *

Starscream woke up in Megatron's berth. He flexed his new wing slightly, hissing when his sensor nets screamed back at him in protest.

"I wonder if there are any psychologists left alive," Megatron commented casually from the other side of the room, where he was busy looking over battle plans and strategies once more. "You certainly have enough issues to make hiring one worthwhile."

The Seeker just rolled over in the large berth, and said childishly, "I don't like you."

Megatron snorted, standing and abandoning his work to come and sit on the berth with the flier. "Oh, Starscream. What am I to do with this little bratty Prince?" he mocked, though the affection in his voice leaked through. "You _should_ like me today. I didn't just kill you when Cyclonus brought you back like I would have anyone else. I'm even letting you recover in my berth."

"You slapped me," Starscream pouted, kicking at the Decepticon leader, and Megatron wondered if the Seeker had genuinely become this immature or if it was the medicinal energon Hook had pumped into the flier's systems. He sincerely hoped it was the latter.

"You deserved it," Megatron replied. "You pushed too far."

The flier said nothing for a while, optics seeming to glaze over - definitely the medicine, Megatron decided. Then the red optics were staring intently up at him again. "If _I_ were leader of the Decepticons," Starscream said earnestly, "I'd force you to bond with me."

Megatron just raised an optic ridge. "Why are you so adamant that I bond with you, little Prince?"

"Little _King_ now," Starscream growled.

"No, always a Prince to me. Besides, Vos is gone," Megatron chuckled, laughing more when a look of outrage blossomed on Starscream's face. "I'll ask again. Why are you so insistent that I bond with you?"

"You promised," Starscream moaned sadly, curling up into a little ball and prodding Megatron's waist repeatedly with a claw. There was no question now, Megatron thought - Starscream was high on whatever Hook had given him. "You said you liked me."

"I did, I do, and I _will_ bond with you - _after the war is finished_. You're impossibly impatient," Megatron replied playfully, smacking the flier lightly on his (good) wing.

"If I were leader of the Decepticons, we'd be bonded today," Starscream repeated, optics not quite focused.

"You would have to defeat me to become leader of the Decepticons. Do you really think you can overthrow me, little Prince?" Megatron asked with narrowed optics. Had Starscream been in his right senses, he was sure he would have punched Starscream in the face for even suggesting such a thing.

Starscream didn't reply, seeming to slip back into a state of unconsciousness. The Decepticon leader just shook his head, and laid down next to Starscream to try and get some recharge himself.

If he had been around when Starscream was a sparkling, Megatron would have instantly known that the look currently plastered on the Seeker's face was not, in fact, unconsciousness, but commonly referred to by Cyclonus as his "plotting" face.

And hours later, Starscream smiled wickedly.

"Yes…" he said softly. "I can."


	16. Chapter 16

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 16  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: **None, really  
**Pairings:** Megatron x Starscream.

It's getting harder to write now...  
Thank you again for the lovely reviews :D I really do appreciate them~!

* * *

The Nemesis blasted off from Cybertron.

Blitzwing, Lugnut and Starscream watched for a long time from the windows as their home planet became smaller and smaller in the distance. Tiny specks of light on the surface - orange where the fighting continued, blue city lights where the Autobots had established control - flickered quietly. Other purple ships followed the Nemesis one by one, each breaking off to go in their separate directions - many of them towards New Kaon, an old Decepticon colony.

The generals said nothing to each other as they stared after their home mournfully. Five thousand years of fighting - and for what?

For the Autobots to launch the All-Spark into space. For Kaon, Polyhex, Simfur and Vos to be destroyed - save for old underground tunnels, there wasn't even a trace of those cities ever being there.

With a grimace, Starscream turned on his heel, marching through the wide corridors of the ship to the main control room where Megatron was frantically looking for a trace of the All-Spark's energy signal.

"It's over," Starscream announced quietly as he entered. "The war is over."

"No," Megatron replied, not really concentrating on what Starscream was saying, far too occupied with the screens littered with graphics showing traces of energy. "It's not over yet. The battle is over, perhaps - the war is not."

"We've abandoned Cybertron," Starscream pointed out in disbelief. "There are less than a hundred Decepticons left on Cybertron. It's over. The Autobots have control of our home planet."

And before he could say anything more, Megatron was towering over him, bending his wings backwards in cruel, black hands with a roar of fury.

* * *

"You lied to me."

Megatron looked up from his chair in the rec. room where he had been nursing a cube of high grade energon. "What are you talking about now, Starscream?" he growled, the glass of his cube protesting under his iron grip.

"You said we'd bond when the war was over," said the Seeker mournfully. "It's over. It's been over for a _century_. We've been floating around aimlessly for a hundred years now. When are you going to stop deluding yourself?"

The Decepticon leader narrowed his optics at the flier. Then, shaking his head, he beckoned the former Prince over. Wordlessly, Starscream tip-toed over, and Megatron pulled Starscream onto his lap.

"When are _you_ going to trust me?" Megatron sighed, nuzzling his head against Starscream's cockpit. "This is…a temporary setback. As soon as we find the All-Spark, we'll head back to Cybertron. With that kind of power in our grasp, we'll wipe out the Autobots within a decade."

Starscream groaned, rolling his optics. "The All-Spark could be _anywhere_ in the universe! They sent it through a slagging space bridge!" he said, exasperated. "You're obsessed."

"Says the mech who's been trying to get into my spark chamber for the last five thousand years!" snapped Megatron, pushing Starscream roughly off his lap and downing his entire cube of high grade. "If you're so desperate to get bonded why don't you go pester Blitzwing?"

The flier retaliated by tipping Megatron's chair backwards, sending the tyrant crashing to the floor. "_I'm_ not the one who promised a naive little youngling they'd get bonded five thousand years ago," snarled the flier. "You tell me to trust you, but you've never kept a promise once. I was a fool to ever think you'd actually bond with me."

In his tipsy state, by the time Megatron stood up to punch the flier in the face, Starscream was already gone.

* * *

The Decepticon Commander couldn't say he was surprised, really, when the next day his berth turned out to be a pressure sensitive bomb.

Starscream was locked up in the brig, and for Megatron, that was that.

* * *

After the tenth assassination attempt, Megatron was understandably fragged off.

In the brig, he smashed Starscream in the face with his fist, and the Seeker went down with an undignified yelp. Never letting up, Megatron dove after him, pinning the flier to the floor by the neck.

"Attention seeking brat," muttered the Decepticon Commander. "_What_ are you trying to achieve by attempting to _kill_ me, Starscream?"

"I…don't…like…you," choked the flier, thrashing under his grip. "Slagging…lying…_bastard_!"

Megatron's optics narrowed dangerously. "_I don't like you either_," he hissed, and below him, the flier began to screech his pumps out. The Decepticon Commander had to place his full weight on the flier to keep him down, claws scratching and swiping up at him aimlessly. Starscream continued to thrash, kicking, punching, scratching, screaming, until finally, Megatron had had enough.

Starscream fell silent and still as Megatron clamped his mouth over the flier's in a rough kiss.

"I don't like you," Megatron huffed when finally he broke the kiss, standing up to his full height. Then, he added with some regret, "It's much more than that."

He left, locking Starscream in the cell as he did so.


	17. Chapter 17

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 17  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: **None, really.  
**Pairings:** Megatron x Starscream, but nothing too slashy yet.

Gah. I had trouble writing this chapter x_x  
Fluff is much easier to write than dramatic, angsty stuff.

* * *

"It's getting vorse, you know," Blitzwing's calm personality commented.

"It's getting what?" Lugnut blinked.

"Vorse," Blitzwing repeated.

"V…oh! Worse!" the large mech suddenly understood. Despite being bonded to Strika, he still had trouble with Blitzwing's accent. He turned around in his seat at the ship's main control panel, frowning as best he could. "Uh…What's getting worse?"

"_Zem_," Blitzwing whispered, as if sharing an important secret. "Starscream und Megatron."

Lugnut just scratched at his head with his clamps. "That traitor and our great Lord? What about them?"

The triple-changer rolled his optics. "Forget it," he sighed, shaking his head. With three personalities constantly hovering around his consciousness, the purple and grey flier was much more observant than his large, bumbling counterpart. He knew - he had _always_ known - that Megatron and Starscream were supposed to have bonded, having been a trader in Vos at the time. He'd heard the news back then. And it was painfully obvious to him, even if none of the other Seekers who joined could see it, that the two had never bonded.

He didn't see why it was such a big issue, personally.

Then his hot-headed face mentally roared in fury. _Of course_ it was a big issue! A custom millions of years old had been broken! And it was causing all of them problems, because that slagger Starscream just would. Not. Give. Up!

His cold side calmed him. Starscream, in Blitzwing's rational mindframe, was still really just a youngling desperate for some attention. It was quite possible that Megatron, apart from Cyclonus (who, rumour held, had been intended to a mysterious mech named Galvatron since before anyone could remember), was the only mech that had ever shown interest or care for the needy little Seeker. Starscream could hardly be blamed, having been regarded in his sparklinghood, by an entire city, no less, to be a curse.

"Und vhat about Megatron?" his unbalanced side chuckled inside his head. What about Megatron indeed? Surely if they just bonded they'd stop fighting. But it seemed to Blitzwing that any love that had once been there between them was rapidly disappearing with every attempt on each other's life.

"No, no," his crazy personality whispered. "Starscream tries to kill him because he loves him. I vould too!" His other two personalities quickly hushed their insane counterpart - but he _did_ have a point. Was that really the way that Starscream worked? In the same wild way that their black-faced personality did?

Outside his mind, Blitzwing shrugged to himself, blue face still in view. It wasn't a big issue, to him.

* * *

"If you're going to poison my energon," Megatron snapped at his second in command, holding up the cube so that it was only inches away from Starscream's face, "at _least_ use a chemical that doesn't change the colour of the energon. I expect better from you, Starscream."

The Seeker looked at the very green liquid being sloshed around in front of his nose. "Aw, slag," he grumbled.

Starscream escorted himself to the brig this time, where Lugnut was waiting to lock him in his usual cell, muttering curses all the way.

* * *

In the middle of a spectacularly violent brawl between Megatron and Starscream - the worst one yet, according to Blitzwing, whose crazy personality stood on the sidelines cheering and whooping - Blackarachnia's voice crackled over the comm.-link.

"Autobot ship approximately twenty kilometres away," she announced excitedly. "There are strange readings coming from it. It _could_ be the All-Spark, I'm not sure."

Both Starscream and Megatron stopped their fight instantly, the Warlord's hand still around the Seeker's neck, and the flier's claws embedded in Megatron's shoulder.

"Blitzwing, repair this idiot," Megatron ordered, dropping Starscream and walking towards his own quarters to fix his scratches. "Both of you, be in the main control room in fifteen minutes."

"Yes, Lord Megatron," both subordinates chorused - Blitzwing with much more fervour than Starscream. The triple-changer quickly took out a repair kit from his subspace pocket and started work on the flier.

"Do you zhink it vill really be zhe All-Zpark?" Blitzwing's calm face spun around.

"Please don't change face while you're repairing me," Starscream said sulkily. "And no, I don't. Even if it is, what does it matter?"

"Of course it matters, Schwachkopf!" roared his hot-headed personality, coming into view, and then quickly flipping back to the icy personality. "If it iz zhe All-Zpark, ve might finally end zis var," - his random face spun into view - "und you und Megatron can live happily ever after!"

"It's too late for that," hissed the Seeker, grabbing the repair kit from the triple-changer. He didn't trust Blitzwing to concentrate one bit. "He was just trying to strangle me, remember?"

"Und you vere trying to dice him into leetle pieces," commented the other flier dryly.

"I was defending myself!" snapped the Seeker. Blitzwing just arched an optic ridge, unconvinced. "…Okay, _and_ trying to kill him. But that doesn't change my point. All-Spark or not, he'll never keep the promise he made to me. To _Vos_."

"…Zo you vant to kill him," Blitzwing concluded.

"What I _want_," Starscream snarled, "is my honour back. I want to make him suffer for ever lying to me, for making me believe that one day he would bond with me. For pretending to like me, when all he cares about is this stupid faction. I want to take the Decepticons for myself, to make him regret ever putting it before _me_."

"Zelf-centred az ever, Starscream," retorted Blitzwing. The triple-changer made as if to leave the room - but just before he was out the door, he turned around.

"You know…patience iz a virtue."

Starscream threw the repair kit at Blitzwing's head.


	18. Chapter 18

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 18  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: **None, really.  
**Pairings:** Megatron x Starscream, Cyclonus x Galvatron, Strika x Lugnut. Sort of, anyway.

I don't like this chapter =_=

These next few chapters take place during TF:A, and are done in a kind of snapshot style, capturing the most important moments and things "behind the scenes", if you will. Since I'm assuming everyone reading this has watched TF:A, I don't want to just retell the entire damn cartoon :p

I hope that doesn't put anyone off...D:

* * *

It had happened so fast, compared to the slow, unending years searching for the All-Spark. The Autobot ship. The bomb he had placed on Megatron's back. The space-bridge malfunction. The half-destroyed Nemesis crashing into the moon of this strange, blue planet.

And suddenly, Starscream was all alone.

He paced around the broken husk of the Nemesis in circles - from the main control room, around the ship, back to the control room. The cycle was repeated endlessly. Each time he arrived at the control room, he searched for a signal. Autobot, Decepticon, _anyone_ would do.

There was nothing. Strange, buzzing communications from the planet below - but other than that, nothing.

* * *

"…You killed him," Cyclonus repeated incredulously.

"Pretty sure of it," Starscream said. "Maybe. I'm not sure, it happened kind of fast, and then there was this big explosion. I'm not picking up any energy signals from…anywhere at all."

Cyclonus continued to stare at his long distance communication device in horror. "You _killed_ Megatron," he repeated again.

"Uh-huh," came Starscream's raspy voice through the device.

"Can I ask _why_ you killed your future bondmate? _Why_, more importantly, you killed the ONLY mech keeping the Decepticons from falling apart?!" Cyclonus yelled.

The flier on the other end just laughed, the sound hollow and empty. "He wasn't going to bond with me. He broke his promise. I wanted revenge."

Cyclonus almost snapped the device in his hand in half, expression dark, dental plating grit together.

"Cyclonus? Are you still there?"

With the iciest tone he could muster, Cyclonus hissed back at the Seeker. "Starscream. You are _not the only mech_ that has waited millennia for their intended to bond with them." And with that, he crushed the communications device under his heel. Cyclonus laid back down on his berth, trying to quell his emotions, but to no avail. He seethed quietly, remembering the mech that had proposed to him so long ago.

He was so lost in his processor that he didn't even notice Strika walking in. "Who vas dat?" she asked calmly, making Cyclonus jump in surprise.

The jet relaxed again and looked away. "Nobody," he muttered darkly.

"Mhm," she said, optics glittering knowingly. "And did dis 'nobody' have any news about Megatron?"

"No," Cyclonus snapped.

"Perhaps…another mech vith a name ending vith 'tron'?" she teased, leaning against the doorframe.

Cyclonus glared at the General, and she chuckled to herself, walking away to her own quarters - suddenly very grateful for the constant presence of Lugnut over their bond, letting her know he was safe in New Kaon.

* * *

He picked up Megatron's faint energy signal at the same time as that of the All-Spark.

As he flew down to the blue and green planet below, Starscream honestly wasn't sure which one he wasn't going after.


	19. Chapter 19

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 19  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: **None, really.  
**Pairings:** Megatron x Starscream, Cyclonus x Galvatron, Strika x Lugnut. Sort of, anyway.

* * *

Perhaps, Starscream reflected, slapping that bomb on Megatron's back at such an important moment had taken it too far.

These last few months had been enjoyable, if a little lonely, he admitted to himself…until those pesky Autobots had taken back the All-Spark and ruined his fun. He'd been doing so well with destroying Detroit, too. Then Blitzwing and Lugnut had appeared, and things had rapidly gone even further downhill.

It irritated him no end that Megatron had chosen to comm. Lugnut instead of him. But, he supposed, the tyrant was as good at holding grudges as he was, and if Megatron had blown _him_ up, he didn't think he'd be calling the Decepticon warlord either.

So he'd followed Lugnut's ranting and ravings to the source of Megatron's energy signal. And _oh_, he'd had a good long laugh when he saw the indignant head of the silver mech glaring up at him, attached to all number of primitive wires and screens. He even gave the tyrant a little kiss on the forehead (to mock him, supposedly, but if he was completely honest, he had missed trying to assassinate his intended every day).

…Then Megatron got his body back. And, as the Seeker quickly found out, he was _not_ pleased to see Starscream again.

The former Prince of Vos opened his optics suddenly. Wait a minute. He'd just been near Sumdac tower - then Megatron had punched him with that key, and…wait…what was that smell anyway?

He realized what he'd been lying in for Primus only knew how long.

Living up to his name, the flier screamed.

* * *

For the sixth time that day, Starscream came back from the dead.

He lay in the river outside the makeshift Decepticon headquarters, not bothering to get up this time. Six failed assassination attempts were quite enough for one day, thank you very much. Glaring up at the night sky, he cleared his vents, bubbles of air blowing out from his submerged torso.

And he thought _he'd_ taken it too far by killing Megatron. As he sat up, he stared down at his empty spark chamber mournfully.

How would they ever bond now? Maybe that had been Megatron's intention - but surely the tyrant couldn't have known that an All-Spark shard would lodge itself in the flier's forehead. Plus, the Decepticon commander seemed more and more annoyed every time Starscream came back from the dead.

The Seeker sighed, lying back down in the water dramatically with a splash.

What a mess this had turned into.

* * *

"We each represent an aspect of your personality," the female clone had explained to him.

But really, they reminded him more of his siblings than himself. He scowled down at his new 'army' of clones. If what she said was true…had he really become as bad as his siblings? Shuddering imperceptibly, he turned to the next protoform to construct yet another clone - a purple one this time, he decided. He'd never had a purple sibling; the colour would have belonged to the fourteenth child, if there had been one.

Perhaps this one would turn out to be more agreeable.

* * *

The ceiling of his underground lair crashed in, and above, six Seekers circled menacingly.

If the Autobots hadn't been there, Megatron was sure he would have screamed. Not only did Starscream seem to be immortal (he hadn't come back for a few weeks - the Decepticon leader was _sure_ he was dead for good this time), but now he seemed to have developed the uncanny ability to reproduce himself, like some sort of robot amoeba.

He dove for the Seeker with his swords furiously. Starscream could have at _least_ had the decency to make his assassination attempts at a more convenient time. The space bridge was almost operational and everything!

Curiously though, even without looking at their paintjobs, he seemed to know exactly which one was the original.


	20. Chapter 20

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 20  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: **Spoilers for Transwarped?  
**Pairings:** Megatron x Starscream, Cyclonus x Galvatron, Strika x Lugnut. Sort of, anyway.

The two parts of this chapter take place first before Transwarped, and second afterwards.  
I hope it's obvious from the writing, but I thought I'd better clarify just in case!

* * *

They floated together in deep space, in silence.

After arguing for five hours solid, it seemed that they had both run out of insults to hurl at each other. The phrase "this is all your fault!" had been repeated several times by now, from both mouths, but really, they supposed, it was both of their faults.

Not that either would admit it.

Out of nowhere, Starscream twitched his disembodied head, the movement sending him tumbling towards Megatron's hands. He quietly began to chew on the stasis cuffs binding the Decepticon leader. The tyrant looked down in surprise - but he kept his mouth shut for fear of yet another argument.

"I may have started it," Starscream mumbled between gnawing on the cuffs, "by putting that bomb on your shoulder…but you didn't have to kill me so…_permanently._ Or quite so many times, either."

"It's hardly permanent if you come back every time," Megatron sighed down at the flier. "And I wouldn't have had to kill you if _you_ hadn't come rushing up to me null rays blazing every slagging time."

"I don't have a spark anymore - that seems pretty permanent to me," the Seeker said blankly, too tired of arguing to shout. "I'm more of a…what is it the humans called them?"

"A zombie?"

Starscream nodded, before continuing to bite at the cuffs. "That's it."

The silence returned, save for the small noises and clicks of exertion from Starscream as he struggled. Megatron twitched his fingers a little, getting the flier's attention. "Come up here a minute," the silver mech murmured. The flier stuck his tongue out against the cuffs to push himself upwards - undignified, but the only 'limb' that either of them could move at that moment.

He floated up slowly, arching an optic ridge at the warlord. Megatron regarded the former Prince for a moment, before straining forward, ignoring the static shocks given off by the cuffs to plant a soft kiss on the flier's left optic.

"I won't kill you anymore," he said, voice low, "if you don't try to kill me anymore either."

"...Fine," Starscream mumbled.

"I still like you…sort of…if it means anything at all to you now," Megatron sighed.

"No spark," the Seeker pointed out again, expression hardening, "no bond." He dipped his head downwards again, sending him spinning back towards the cuffs, which he proceeded to bite angrily.

Megatron frowned, closing his optics and waiting for Starscream to get the cuffs off. He had survived in Sumdac's lab as just a head without a spark-chamber, nothing powering him but a burst of energy from the All-Spark…but now here he was, spark beating quietly in his chest.

He muttered contemplatively, more to himself than Starscream, "There must be a way."

* * *

"I spy with my little optic…something beginning wiiiith…'O'," the Seeker said dryly.

"Orange," Megatron groaned, throwing his arms up into the air and leaning back in his chair dramatically. "For spark's sake, we've been through every damned item in Omega Supreme now."

Starscream's disembodied head sat on the dashboard. "We could look outside the window if you turn me around," he suggested - but then they transwarped yet again to another random point in the galaxy, the outside scenery changing completely. "Or…not."

The Decepticon tyrant picked Starscream's up, placing him in the crook of one arm. Truthfully, the Seeker was quite enjoying this little holiday in Omega Supreme, though Megatron had walked around the ship holding him like this at least ten times now. The flier assumed it was out of boredom - or perhaps to stretch his legs, but after spending weeks without a body, Starscream was beginning to find it difficult to remember what legs felt like.

"We could have a nice long argument," the flier suggested as they walked down to the docking bay of the Omega unit.

The warlord snorted. "Don't we have enough of those as it is?" he asked, holding up Starscream's head in one hand.

"I mean a big, _big_ argument," Starscream said merrily. "One big argument to sort all our troubles out."

"That's not how our arguments end at all," Megatron frowned. "It would end with me throwing you out the air lock." The flier just pouted up at him, and the Decepticon leader rolled his optics, tucking Starscream back against him. "_Fine_. You want an argument? Here's you go - if you had just been patient and worked _with_ me rather than against me, we would have the All-Spark now, Cybertron would be ours, and we would be bonded."

The gentle reply almost made Megatron's processor lock up, and he froze mid stride, foot still hovering in the air.

He pulled Starscream's head out, gripping it in both hands, and raised it up so that he could look the flier in the optics. "_What_ did you say?" Megatron said incredulously.

"I said," the former Prince repeated quietly, "I'm sorry."

"Have you fried a relay or have I?" the Decepticon warlord asked very seriously.

Starscream glared up at him. "I'll take it back if you're not careful," he huffed. Megatron shook his head with a chuckle. "I've…been thinking about something Cyclonus said to me a while ago. I should have been more patient…but…you really slagged me off! The war was _totally_ over!"

The larger mech's optic twitched. "I am _not_ getting into that discussion with you again, Starscream," he said dangerously, but his expression soon softened and he looked away. "I'm sorry I…changed the conditions of our promise. A bit. Kind of," he ground out through gritted dental plates, then hurriedly added "but I'm _not_ sorry I didn't bond with you! Because I still intend to keep that promise. One day."

"Except that you, oh, hmm, _destroyed my spark,_ genius," Starscream pointed out sarcastically.

"As I said before," Megatron replied, tapping his own chest with his free hand, "there's always a way." He folded his arm again, Starscream resting once again against his torso, continuing to walk along the corridors of Omega Supreme. Then, with a wicked grin, Megatron chuckled to himself, "…Maybe Swindle will sell you his."

The Seeker laughed - not one of his rasping cackles, but the light noise of a youngling - and for the first time in millennia, the Decepticon warlord felt reasonably at peace with his second in command.


	21. Chapter 21

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 21  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ENDGAME!**  
**Pairings:** Megatron x Starscream, Cyclonus x Galvatron, Strika x Lugnut. Sort of, anyway.

As I wrote above, if you haven't seen Endgame, GO WATCH IT before you read this chapter! It contains spoilers!  
And, before you come after me with pitchforks and torches, this is NOT the last chapter ;)

* * *

Starscream smirked as he sat quietly, watching Lugnut and Shockwave bicker over who was Megatron's favourite.

Anyone looking at the Seeker would have automatically assumed he was pleased with the results of his taunts; after all, he _had_ been the one to push Lugnut over the edge. But no - amusing as watching the two other Decepticons was, that wasn't the reason for his smirking at all.

He smirked because, for the first time, he felt content in the knowledge that _he_ was the favourite of the Decepticon tyrant. Megatron had never told him so explicitly, of course. But, after spending months alone on Omega Supreme, they'd had time to sort out their differences.

Or…some of them, at least.

* * *

Really, Megatron would have preferred that Starscream stayed a head - he was so much more portable, so much less treacherous that way, almost cute - but he grudgingly allowed the Seeker his new body.

Still; better to be safe than sorry, he supposed, and proceeded to destroy every last one of the clones. Besides, he didn't particularly like the idea of more than one Starscream. The former Prince was enough of a handful to deal with on his own.

* * *

When the flier finally onlined, he _screamed_ in fury. 'Won't kill you anymore' Unicron's aft! The shot _had_ been aimed at his legs, probably designed to cripple him, but it had been enough to take him out. Again.

He looked around, struggling to crawl towards the pieces of his body, cursing Megatron as he went.

He sighed as he fixed his legs back to his lower torso, realizing that yet again, he had provoked it. And he'd been doing so well, too. Perhaps he should apologize and hope Megatron would forgive him one more time…but then, the tyrant had broken yet another promise and shot at him. Reattaching himself to the appropriate pieces, Starscream grumbled to himself.

He'd just wait and see how he felt when he got down to Earth's surface. Anyway, if Megatron _did_ kill him again, he'd implanted a failsafe into the Omega clones to thwart the Commander's plans. That would show him not to break promises…

Twisting his neck back into place with a crack, he transformed and took off for Earth.

* * *

It hurt.

He didn't know what the Autobots were doing, but it pulled, and tugged, and ached, until it felt like his head was about to explode. He grabbed onto it, swallowing a scream, as if trying to keep his circuits from bursting out of his head. The wretched Cyberninjas continued to hum, gathering more shards.

Shards? Wait…oh, Primus.

Too late, he smacked a hand over his forehead - but the All-Spark shard keeping him alive had already been pulled out.

The pain disappeared, and slowly, he felt himself falling to the ground, as if in slow motion.

_I didn't get to confront Megatron_, he thought, strangely calm. _I was going to…apologize…and tell him I…_

_Oh, slag, the Omega clones…_

_Need to warn him that I…_

With a soft sigh, his systems shut down. He didn't even feel the crash as he hit the ground.

* * *

Something was wrong. Suddenly, something felt different, and Megatron hesitated as he brought his blade down on Optimus.

Taking advantage of the moment, the Prime managed to land a hit with Ultra Magnus' hammer, and the Decepticon tyrant was sent crashing down to the ground. He growled, but let himself stay down for a moment - better to figure this sensation out than to let it distract him further.

And slowly, it hit him. He felt it, even though he didn't know why, and roared, optics blazing in fury up at the Autobot flying above him, and he shot his fusion cannon aimlessly in his rage, launching himself up at the Prime to channel his anger into the fight.

Starscream was dead.


	22. Chapter 22

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 22  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ENDGAME!**  
**Pairings:** Megatron x Starscream, Cyclonus x Galvatron, Strika x Lugnut. Sort of, anyway.

Post-Endgame now! :D This should be more fun to write...

* * *

"Ve're too late," Strika sighed, surveying the strange planet. Spittor chirped sadly by her side.

"I told you we shouldn't have stopped when Swindle's ship passed us by," Oil Slick said accusingly, glaring up at Blackout. The larger mech cringed, avoiding the chemist's optics. "Stupid mech just talks and talks, and you didn't even buy anything worthwhile!"

"Sorry…" rumbled the big mech.

"It dos not matter now," Strika snapped at them. "Cyclonus, have you picked up any residual energy signatures?"

"Yes," the jet replied calmly, looking down at the energy reader in his hands. "Something big was over there…something like the All-Spark. Or a piece of it anyway."

Strika nodded, and marched towards the direction Cyclonus had pointed, Spittor bounding along after her like some sort of pet. He flicked his tongues out as they walked - these tiny organic things sure tasted funny.

"Don't eat those," Oil Slick scolded him, smacking him lightly on the side. "You don't know what's in them." The Predacon shot him a dark look, and sulkily galloped over to Strika.

"_Vhat_ in ze name of the All-Spark!" she screeched suddenly, stopping so abruptly that both Spittor and Oil Slick crashed into her. They peered around her bulky frame, wondering what had caused her to stop - and both froze, staring in disbelief at the sight before them. Blackout hurriedly pottered up to see too, slowing down when his optic caught sight of it.

"Uh-oh…" he rumbled. "Cyclonus…you'd better come and see this."

The jet frowned - he'd been walking behind them at a leisurely pace, but he sped up to see what had stopped them all.

He cried out in horror when he saw what had given off the residual energy signature. Starscream lay dead in the middle of the road, badly battered. Around him, the organics had set up brightly coloured tapes with "Keep Out!" and "Warning!" signs written on them. Pushing the other Decepticons aside, the purple jet rushed towards the offline Seeker, flipping him over onto his back.

Cyclonus kneeled down, cradling Starscream in his arms. The flier looked oddly peaceful, as if he was only asleep - but his grey, faded paint job told the jet otherwise. The ex-Minister of Vos ground his dental plates together.

* * *

"There," Oil Slick said, dusting off his claws.

The body of Starscream had been put inside a cryostasis chamber. Cyclonus had insisted that they keep him, adamant that Megatron would want him upon his return. Strika had pointed out, several times, that Megatron, Lugnut, and Shockwave were all being detained in a high-security prison in New Iacon built specifically to hold the Decepticon leader, but the jet remained uncharacteristically positive that Megatron would one day break out.

"And if he dos not?" she asked.

"Then we'll have to break him out," Cyclonus replied, admiring the job Oil Slick had done. The chemist, being the closest thing Team Chaar had to a medic, had been drafted in by Strika to try and fix Starscream up as best he could. The once battered and cracked Seeker now looked fairly respectable, all dents pounded out, all chips filled in and smoothed over.

The purple jet decided to give Starscream one last polish before they closed the cryostasis pod, ready for Megatron's return.

* * *

He didn't feel the crack of the whip against his armour - he was a mech of war, and as such had had modifications installed specifically for situations such as this one. Megatron just looked at the new wound, oozing energon, as if he wasn't really sure what he was seeing. He'd turned most of his sensor nets off - a trick he'd bought from Swindle at some cost. Vaguely, he felt his system protesting to him at the loss of energon.

No matter.

He almost sighed, but didn't feel like dignifying the Autobot who was currently 'torturing' him with the noise. Tch. Autobots, torturing their prisoners. They acted so damn high and mighty, but when it came down to it, they were just as brutal as the Decepticons.

Well…they tried to be, anyway. Off the top of his processor, Megatron could think of at least one hundred and twenty-two different ways to torture the Autobot whipping him more effectively than simply making him _bleed_.

And yet, the Decepticon leader couldn't really bring himself to care. He seemed to alternate between three emotions: rage, that he had been captured by these morons, and that they dared to lay their grubby servos on him like this. Apathy, because really, he had grown bored of looking for ways to escape, and would rather have _died_ than be captured. And finally, regret.

Regret…that empty feeling in his spark. He had never even felt the change occur, but at some point, Starscream had become a big part of him, whether they were bonded or not. It felt as if a chunk of him was missing - a chunk that had tried to kill him every other day, but still. He wondered what it would have been like to bond. Lugnut had once commented that he always knew exactly where Strika was, no matter how many galaxies were between him. He didn't mind being stationed in a separate unit to her - because for them, it felt as if they were in the same room anyway.

Would he be able to feel Starscream now, if he had just bonded with the damn flier? It was a lonely thought, to be sure, that the brat could have been comforting and soothing him right now, could have inspired him to keep looking for a chance to escape the prison.

But now, Starscream was dead. What was there to escape for?

Megatron hissed as the whip broke through the armour on his right shoulder, hitting a circuit that had been buried between his plating. He cursed his body silently, and quickly turned off that sensor net too, his half-broken arm falling limp as he did so.

…Body…

He narrowed his optics suddenly, making the Autobot currently in charge of beating him flinch in fear. Body…what _had_ happened to Starscream's body, anyway? He snarled quietly to himself as a thought came to him - perhaps that awful Sumdac human had taken Starscream's remains, to reverse engineer them just as he had Megatron's. And Sumdac wasn't even the worst of the humans, he knew that much.

_Lugnut_, he rumbled over his private communication link, one he'd had buried deep inside his processor just for occasions such as this. _You can communicate with Strika over your bond, yes? Tell Team Chaar to recover Starscream's body. Tell them to keep it safe until we get out of this pit._

"Hey! He's using a communication channel!" one of the Autobot guards yelled, a signal reading flashing on their screens, and the other guards stationed around the cell looked to each other in horror.

"How?! We removed all of them!" another one, a small blue femme said back.

"It doesn't matter! Quickly! Just get a signal jammer down here, _now_!!!"

_My Lord,_ Lugnut replied quickly, hearing the commotion outside Megatron's cell, _Strika says they have already done it, you need not worry. All hail the great and glorious Megat-_

Then the signal jammer blocked Lugnut's fanatical ravings out, and Megatron sighed in relief, slumping in his chains.

Perhaps there was hope yet.


	23. Chapter 23

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 23  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ENDGAME!**  
**Pairings:** Megatron x Starscream, Cyclonus x Galvatron, Strika x Lugnut. Sort of, anyway.

Man, Strika's accent is hard to write. It's not German like Blitzwing, it's more...Russian maybe? Oh well.

* * *

"Optimus Magnus wanted us to just leave you here," the pompous-looking Autobot said, expression smug. "He wanted you to stay down here, in the dark, alone, forever." He raised the electric rod up, letting the purple light dancing off it illuminate his face. "But what he doesn't know can't hurt him, right?"

He moved a step closer. "Unfortunately, it's going to hurt _you_."

Megatron just snorted, looking up at the blue and yellow Autobot disbelievingly.

_What's with his chin, anyway?_ a raspy voice whispered. Oh, great. Now he was hallucinating again. It seemed to happen whenever the Autobots didn't give him any energon for a while - he'd start to imagine that he could hear Starscream talking to him. _That was the lamest torture speech I've ever heard!_ the imaginary Starscream yelled, and Megatron had to agree.

"You dare to scoff at me?! Do you know who I am, you worthless pile of scrap?" cried the Autobot indignantly.

"Couldn't…give…a…slag," the Decepticon leader choked out. It was strange to hear his own voice again; he hadn't used it in years, now, except to shout and curse whenever an Autobot competent in the art of torture came along to take a turn. He hadn't realized his vocaliser had gotten so rusty, either. _And I thought **mine**__ was bad,_ imaginary Starscream commented, but it only served to reaffirm the fact that it was just a hallucination. Starscream would never admit his voice was grating.

"_I_ am the great Sentinel Prime!" bellowed the Autobot, smashing the electric rod into Megatron's torso. The Decepticon just scoffed again - he _still_ couldn't feel it. In fact, he wasn't looking forward at all to turning his sensor nets back on; his body was in such a terrible state after so many years down in the accursed prison. He hoped Team Chaar were taking better care of Starscream's body. Absently, Megatron wondered if it was still as mangled as the last time he'd seen it…

…when he'd blasted apart with his fusion cannon.

He frowned at the thought, though his contemplative expression only served to enrage Sentinel Prime further. If he managed to get Starscream back online, would the Seeker still be mad at him for that one, he wondered?

Even worse…had it really been that one fusion cannon blast that had finally killed Starscream for good? He'd aimed it at the flier's legs…it was only meant to cripple him. Had Starscream just given up? He'd promised not to kill him again, hadn't he? Slag…The thought of Starscream bleeding to death because of him filled him with regret, and his expression changed, softening with sadness.

Sentinel Prime just stared at the tyrant's face, well and truly baffled.

* * *

"It's not perfect," Strika said thoughtfully, rubbing her chin, "but it's ze best ve've got."

Oil Slick, Spittor and Blackout sank into their chairs in relief. Even Cyclonus allowed himself a small smile. They'd been trying to come up with a plan to break Megatron out for ten years now. Not just Megatron - Lugnut and Shockwave, too. General Strika had become grumpier and moodier with every passing year since Megatron's capture twenty years ago. The separation from her bondmate was starting to get to her, and doubtless she too could feel the stress and sorrow Lugnut was enduring in the Autobot prison.

"It…s-sounds scary," a black and purple flier whimpered from the corner. Cyclonus turned to look at their two newest recruits - he'd nearly had a spark-attack when they first came across Skywarp and Thundercracker, sitting on an asteroid playing "I spy", thinking them to be ghosts of Starscream and his siblings. Thundercracker just rolled his optics at the younger clone's pathetic whining.

"Don't vorry," the bulky femme said, "you and Thundercracker vill stay and guard de ship. Ve vill need to take off quickly. Ve vill only have about…ten minutes for dis entire operation."

"Ten minutes?" Oil Slick questioned, appalled. "Surely we can tinker around with it a bit, knock it up to twenty minutes at the very least."

"No," Cyclonus said, shaking his head calmly. "Any longer than that and the Autobots will manage to get a counter-attack together. Speed is of the essence. We should probably rehearse the entire operation a few times - it will need to be seamless."

"Agreed," Strika nodded. "Ve each have our parts. Your orders are to prepare for ze mission."

With a chorus of "yes ma'am"s, they left the command centre of the ship.


	24. Chapter 24

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 24  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ENDGAME!**  
**Pairings:** Megatron x Starscream, Cyclonus x Galvatron, Strika x Lugnut. Sort of, anyway.

* * *

**Step one: Blackout.**

"Engage ze cloaking devices," Strika ordered as they came closer to Cybertron. "Thundercracker, set a course for New Iacon, sector 16, building 10 - _no_, ze big, heavily guarded building, you idiot! Ve are not raiding a bar!"

The blue Seeker grumpily altered the course, as Strika, Oil Slick, Blackout, Spittor and Cyclonus readied themselves, opening up the doors to the docking bay.

"Ready, big guy?" Oil Slick asked with a grin, looking up at Blackout.

The heavy mech puffed out his chest proudly. "Ready!" he bellowed happily. Strika peered out the doors down at the city of New Iacon - soon enough, they were hovering over the prison where Megatron, Shockwave and Lugnut were kept. With a nod, the General gave the signal, and Blackout launched himself out the docking bay, landing with a heavy thud on top of the prison.

He stamped his foot, activating his disruption abilites. With a wave of deafening noise, the disruption signal spread all across sector 16, leaking into the other surrounding sectors too, and every light, generator and electrical impulse in the south of New Iacon went out.

"Done it!" he yelled into his comm., and the other members of Team Chaar hopped out of their ship, landing slightly more delicately on top of the prison.

**Step two: Oil Slick****.**

"Stand back, everyone," grinned the chemist, producing a vial full of sickeningly orange liquid.

The other members cringed as Oil Slick smashed the vial against the roof of the prison. With a hiss, the acid rapidly began to eat up at the material of the roof, and with the heavy weight of Strika, Blackout and Spittor, the roof caved in.

"Good thing you've been drinking all that candied energon, Blackout," Oil Slick grinned. "I wasn't sure we'd be heavy enough for that to work."

Strika glared at the scientist - she'd have to have words with him about that later, but for now, the mission came first.

**Step three: Spittor****.**

Before the bewildered guards nearest to them could react, the Predacon had already latched his tongues onto each of them, swallowing them up and spitting them back down the corridor. The walls at the end of the corridor exploded from the contact with his acidic spit, and Team Chaar barrelled down the hall into the chaos.

The team quickly repeated this process several more times, Oil Slick and Cyclonus bringing up the rear, hurtling vials of cosmic rust at any Autobot reinforcements that tried to come after them.

Back in front, Spittor snatched up a guard in his tongue, dangling him precariously over his mouth. Strika marched up, bellowing up at the Autobot "VHERE ARE ZE PRISONERS!?", cannons aimed at the poor 'bot's spark chamber.

"Level 3! Level 3!" shrieked the guard, wriggling in terror. Spittor flung the Autobot back down the hallway, and as Oil Slick and Cyclonus passed the terrified mech, the chemist gave him a mocking salute.

**Step four: Strika****.**

"Get ready!" she yelled, aiming her cannons at the ground.

With a deafening bang, she blew a hole straight downwards. The general looked down approvingly - Strika had used enough firepower to blow a hole right through the levels, all the way to the underground sewers.

Blackout snatched her up in one arm, jumping down first into the hole. Cyclonus grabbed Oil Slick, and Spittor jumped down by himself. Both fliers managed to stay airborne until they got to Level 3, Cyclonus tossing Oil Slick down into the corridor, where the chemist proceeded to throw vials of various explosives and acids at the guards stationed there. Strika and Blackout soon followed, Spittor latching onto Blackout with his tongue as he fell past the third floor. The heavy flier pulled the Predacon up by the tongue, and then continued to barrel down the corridor.

**Step five: Cyclonus.**

Raising his swords up, the purple jet violently sliced at the first cell door, splitting the guard stationed next to it in two as he did so.

He smashed the door in with his foot, looking around the cell for any Decepticons.

And nearly had a spark attack. Again.

"Who in the name of the All-Spark are _you_ two now?!" he said in disbelief.

"Oh, our glorious saviour has come to free us from our prison!" the yellow Seeker praised Cyclonus, jumping up from the floor excitedly.

"My name isn't Ramjet…nope…I'm not a clone of Starscream at all," lied the white and wine Seeker.

The purple jet just shook his head, turning to race back down the corridor, shouting behind him, "If you want to get out of this prison, quit standing around and come help us bust the other prisoners out!"

At the other end of the corridor, Oil Slick had poured chemicals onto the remaining locks and cell doors, all of them slowly beginning to disintegrate with a whining hiss. Spittor and Blackout dealt with the remaining guards, the larger mech slamming his giant claws down to crush the unfortunate bots below him, while Spittor was happily chewing on some others.

"LUGNUT!" bellowed Strika, smashing her frame into one of the cell doors as the acid wore away. The door easily gave in to her weight, and with a cry of joy she ran towards her bondmate. At the other end of the hall, Oil Slick was leading out a very dazed Blitzwing, while Shockwave was having trouble adjusting to the light outside his dark cell. Cyclonus, Ramjet and Sunstorm all fired at the remaining cell door simultaneously.

At last, Megatron had been found - but then the fliers looked at him.

"Strika!" Cyclonus yelled, quickly taking command, "Megatron is in no state to escape without assistance! Blackout, we're going to need you to carry him! Oil Slick, bring some acid over here to burn his chains off!"

The Decepticon leader just stared up at the team incredulously.

Before he could fully grasp just what on Cybertron was happening, the chemist had poured a nasty green liquid over his chains, and he was tossed into Blackout's outstretched arms.

"BACK TO THE SHIP!" Strika roared, grabbing onto Lugnut. Oil Slick was lifted by Cyclonus, while Shockwave was picked up by the two Starscream clones, and Spittor held onto Blitzwing.

Just as they stepped back onto the ship, the power in sector 16 came back on, and before the Autobots even knew it had happened, they were gone.


	25. Chapter 25

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 25  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ENDGAME!**  
**Pairings:** Megatron x Starscream, Cyclonus x Galvatron, Strika x Lugnut. Sort of, anyway.

Wow, we've gone past the 100 reviews mark for this story! Thank you so much for your support everyone!  
I'm so glad you've been enjoying it, but I'm afraid I'm not rewarding you story-wise, because this chapter ends with...you guessed it, another cliffhanger XD

* * *

"That should hold you up for now, sir," Oil Slick said, welding a final wound shut. "I'll still need to have a look at some of the circuits that got damaged, possibly reconstruct your entire right arm…"

"What Oil Slick means is that you need to refuel before he can work on you any further, my Lord," Cyclonus supplied calmly, setting down the box of tools he had been carrying for the chemist.

The Decepticon Commander nodded absently, looking drained.

"…Maybe you should stay in the med bay for now, sir," the chemist said, a hint of worry colouring his voice. "I'll go get you some energon." The purple jet nodded to his fellow team mate, seating himself on a repair berth opposite Megatron.

"…Where's…?" the tyrant mumbled groggily. Oil Slick had given him some sort of chemical to ease the pain when he turned his sensor nets back on, but it was having the added side effect of making the silver mech drowsy.

"…Starscream's body?" Cyclonus finished for Megatron. "Don't worry about that now. He's safe - I made sure of it. He's not going anywhere while we're repairing you."

Megatron nodded slightly, squinting his optics to try and focus on the purple jet. "…See…him…?"

"Now?" the flier frowned. "I really don't think you should be getting up right now, my Lord."

"Need…to…see…" insisted Megatron, expression darkening murderously even under the blanket of drugs.

Cyclonus just sighed, shaking his head. He walked to the other side of the med-bay, patting the wall for a moment, before he found the fake tile that covered the access panel. He slowly entered the codes, and the wall slid back to reveal a collection of cryostasis pods. The jet hesitated a moment, looking back at Megatron, who was staring at him eagerly.

Slowly, Cyclonus opened up Starscream's cryostasis pod.

Megatron gasped, standing up with a wobble. He stumbled forward despite the purple jet's protests, finally collapsing in front of the pod. "Star…scream…"

"Lord Megatron, please," begged the jet, placing an arm on Megatron's shoulder, "you've seen him now, you've seen he's fine. Now, you need to lie back down."

The tyrant seemed to completely ignore him, scrabbling back up and leaning heavily on the side of the pod. He ran a finger delicately along Starscream's wing - perfectly smooth, not a crack, chip or dent in sight…so different to the last time he'd seen him.

"He's…beautiful, isn't…he?" Megatron said absently.

That was enough, Cyclonus decided, and he forcibly dragged the Decepticon commander back to the repair berth.

* * *

"Strika," Megatron rumbled, "I would like to commend you and your team for a spectacularly efficient rescue operation. You have my thanks, and I am sure Shockwave, Lugnut, Blitzwing and…those other two, appreciate it just as much as I." If she could, Strika was sure she would have blushed, but instead, she just puffed her chest out with pride, optics glittering. Lugnut couldn't help beaming with pride for his bondmate too, shuffling closer to her. "I cannot thank you and your team enough," he continued.

Then, he pointed at the Starscream clones with one black finger - now fully intact, thanks to Oil Slick. "You four, however, I require something…_more_ from," he said smoothly, beckoning them forward.

Thundercracker and Ramjet strode closer with their heads up in the air, while Skywarp cowered behind them, Sunstorm clasping his hands with a grin. The Decepticon Warlord motioned to Cyclonus, and the ex-Minister of Vos brought the cryostasis pod into the command room.

The clones looked down at their creator. Thundercracker grimaced. Skywarp almost fainted, but the blue clone propped his weak, young brother up. Sunstorm looked down at his polished (if dead) creator admiringly, while Ramjet didn't seem to know what to think.

"He gave you life," Megatron said softly, standing up to come and look down at the pod holding Starscream's shell. "Now, I need you to return the favour."

"_What?_" Thundercracker snarled, "I'm not giving up my life for him! I'm _far_ superior to this rusty slagger!"

The Decepticon tyrant backhanded the blue clone across the face, sending him reeling to the floor - but then turned back to Starscream as if nothing had ever happened. "Each of you are kept online by a shard of the all-spark, which he broke off from his own to power you," the silver mech continued. "I won't force you to give up your entire shard - although I _could_," - he glared at Thundercracker - "and all I require is a small piece of each of yours."

Skywarp was the first to open his spark chamber - probably out of fear. "It's not going to…to hurt, is it?" he whined, prodding at his shard. The tyrant just frowned at him, and with a terrified squeak, Skywarp reached in and snapped a piece off. Gingerly, he placed it in Megatron's outstretched hand. Sunstorm and Ramjet just shrugged, and did the same. Thundercracker was last to obey, breaking off a part of the shard with a sulky pout.

Megatron looked down at the four pieces in his hands for a moment, and Team Chaar exchanged nervous glances with Shockwave, Blitzwing and Lugnut. Then, he closed his hand tightly, as if he intended to break the pieces even smaller - but when he opened his hand up again, there was only one, larger shard, equal in size to the ones the clones had been left with.

Cyclonus reached into the cryostasis pod, opening up Starscream's empty spark chamber delicately. The shard was placed inside by Megatron, and for a moment, there was silence.

Slowly, the colour started to come back into Starscream - fuchsia and blue-grey, until it spread to his orange cockpit. With a soft whine, his sytems booted up, his optics powering online last. The Seeker blinked up at the ceiling, rubbing his optics groggily.

As his optics focused, he looked up to see Megatron, the clones, and Cyclonus staring down at him expectantly.

He screamed.


	26. Chapter 26

**The Brat Prince of Vos**

**Chapter 26  
**

**Continuity:** Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there  
**Warnings: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ENDGAME!**  
**Pairings:** Megatron x Starscream, Cyclonus x Galvatron, Strika x Lugnut. Sort of, anyway.

Last chapter, guys! Please see the author's note at the end :D

* * *

"MEEEGAAAATROOON!"

The Decepticons jumped back in surprise, and for one horrifying moment said tyrant was sure Starscream was going to start yelling at him about killing him. But then the Seeker sat up in his pod, grabbed onto the silver mech's shoulders and started shaking him.

"THE OMEGA UNITS! YOU HAVE TO STOP THE OMEGA CLONES!" screeched the flier. "I'm so sorry Megatron! I put the bombs in them just in case, but then I didn't think I'd actually be killed by those Autobots when I got down to Earth! You need to disable the bombs! They're going to-"

Megatron smacked the hysterical flier upside the head.

There was a heavy silence. Starscream looked around, bewildered and thoroughly confused.

Abruptly, he fainted.

* * *

The Seeker rubbed his optics. "Where am I…?" he mumbled aloud, staring at the lilac ceiling.

"On Team Chaar's ship, in my berth," Megatron's voice floated over to him, and he turned around to see the Decepticon leader walking towards him.

"…How did I get here?" Starscream asked. "Last thing I remember was those Autobots…then I was falling…and then I was in that pod, looking up at all of you."

"You died, my Prince," said the tyrant softly, stroking the flier's face. "I was captured by the Autobots. You've been dead for more than twenty years." The flier looked up at him in horror. "Team Chaar recovered your body, and broke me out of my prison."

"Twenty years?" repeated Starscream.

"Twenty years." Megatron scooped him up in his arms, pressing the Seeker close and nuzzling his face into the blue-grey neck. "I missed you," he rumbled gently.

The flier didn't react for a moment, blinking in surprise, but then he laughed quietly, and returned the embrace, kissing the side of Megatron's helm. "I'm sure I would have missed you too, except for…well, being dead," he chuckled. "I know I missed you when _you_ were dead."

Megatron pulled back just enough to kiss Starscream properly, stroking the base of the flier's wings as he did so. The former Prince smiled into the kiss, returning it happily as the tyrant lowered them to the berth gently.

He drew back, looking down at Starscream breathlessly. "I…I've had a lot of time to think," he said slowly. "And…I'm sorry I didn't bond with you. I'm sorry I didn't bond with you when the Great War was over. I'm even more sorry that I didn't bond with you when you were a youngling."

Starscream smiled up at him, placing a finger to Megatron's mouth to silence him. "I'm sorry too," rasped the flier. "I should have been patient. I should never have tried to kill you."

The Warlord buried his face against Starscream's neck again, winding his arms around the small Fuchsia waist while the flier settled his arms around Megatron's shoulders, stroking his helm affectionately.

* * *

"How are we going to bond now?"

Starscream rolled his optics, smacking Megatron on the helm lightly. "_Now_ he wants to bond," chuckled the flier, "when his intended doesn't have a spark anymore."

"I mean it," Megatron said seriously, sitting up in the berth where he and the flier had been dozing.

The flier shrugged a little sadly. "Maybe…it's Primus' way of punishing us for messing everything up," Starscream said thoughtfully.

This time it was the Warlord's turn to smack Starscream on the head. "That's unusually religious of you," he commented. "Anyway, he gave me back mine after you killed me. If you ask him nicely, maybe he'll give you back yours."

"Very funny," replied the flier, turning over in mock indignation. Megatron pulled him back towards him, settling himself against the flier's back.

"Starscream?"

"Mm?"

"You remember how you used to ask me if I liked you?"

"Of course."

"Ask me again," Megatron said, smiling deviously.

The flier arched an optic ridge, but obliged. "Do you like me?"

The Warlord leaned in closer, pressing his mouth up against the Seeker's audio unit. He whispered, struggling to contain his laughter - "_No_."

"WHAT?!" shrieked the flier, trying to shove Megatron off him - but the tyrant wouldn't budge, and instead pinned Starscream down.

"I don't like you," Megatron laughed, then leaned in to kiss the irritated flier. "I _love_ you. And even if we never find a way to bond, I'll still love you, and that's enough for me."

Starscream's optics went wide, but he soon pretended to pout unhappily at the trick Megatron had played on him, optics glittering. "Slagger…I love you too. I have since I was a youngling…it was…never really a bond I wanted, I guess…I just wanted to know that you loved me."

"And I do, little one, I do. What say we go and steal the All-Spark back, my Prince? _Together_ this time," Megatron grinned.

The Seeker shook his head disbelievingly with a playful smile. "He gets out of prison, brings his dead lover back to life, and all he wants to do is take over Cybertron again," sighed Starscream dramatically.

"Who said anything about Cybertron?" Megatron said smugly. "I want the All-Spark to bring you back to life more…permanently. Just think what…" - he nipped the flier's neck delicately, then kissed the dark cables in the same spot - "_…pleasant_ things we could do then."

"Sounds like fun," Starscream smiled sensually.

"Excellent!" Megatron beamed, then yelled over his shoulder "Strika! We're going back to Cybertron!!!"

He picked up Starscream bridal-style and charged towards the command-centre, the two laughing maniacally together all the way.

**THE END**

**

* * *

**

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who stuck with this story and left me kind reviews! I hope this ending satisfies you - I felt that this was where it wanted to stop, with the two at peace with each other, and I'll let you imagine what happens next ;)

I also wanted to note that my characterizations of Cyclonus and Oil Slick were heavily inspired by an excellent fic that's still in progress (I think) called "Toxicity", by spotlight-noa and vani-nessa. Fanfiction dot net won't let me write the link to it here, but if you search for the "team_chaar" livejournal community you'll find it on there. But anyway, if you're looking for something to read - read that!


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